The U.S. - Mexican Border: Mt Cristo Rey
May | 2015
Photo: Mt. Cristo ReyMay 6, 2015 — This is a view of Christo Rey. It can be seen from the large picture window in my parents' home. Because it faces Southeast of where they live, we often see these glorious sunsets highlighting the large cross on top of the mountain. On my first night home, I was thrilled to be welcomed by this view!
Mt. Cristo Rey is actually located in Sunland Park, NM, an area which borders El Paso. The Cristo Rey peak, 4,576 feet above sea level, is said to have been a lookout for Apaches during the times of the Spanish Conquistadores.
The large statue of Christ with his arms stretched out on either side, serves as a shrine to thousands of faithful in the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area. Dedicated in 1940, this monument to Christ was the vision of Fr. Lourdes Costa, a local parish priest, who in 1933 after looking out the back window of his residence in the community of
Smeltertown, envisioned erecting a monument at the summit of this glorious mountain.
The 29-foot monument overlooks two nations and three states: Texas, New Mexico and Juárez, México. To residents of Juárez it symbolizes hope and serves as a reminder of how tenuous invisible border lines can be.
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