Despite recent incidents of violence in Escuinapa, religious celebrations and other Catholic Church activities are continuing as normal—albeit always during daylight hours—according to the Bishop of the Diocese of Mazatlán.
Mario Espinosa Contreras explained that during a visit to the southern municipality last month, he was able to celebrate and attend religious ceremonies at local parishes without incident, noting strong participation by the faithful in the Eucharist.
“We were in Escuinapa on May 16, and we traveled there and back without issues, thank God. We visited two churches there, and everything was normal at both, with full attendance by the parishioners. There were confirmations at one church, and at the San Juan Pablo II church, we held a ‘cantamisa’ [a newly ordained priest’s first Mass] attended by people from Mazatlán as well; everything went smoothly,” he noted.
However, the Bishop acknowledged that the local population has altered some habits as a precaution against the security situation—specifically by attending Masses and events during the day or early evening so they can return home before nightfall.
“They prefer to be home before sunset, staying safe to avoid running into any trouble,” commented the prelate, who has made several visits to parishes and churches in the area during his tenure with the Diocese.
Regarding rural communities within the diocese—such as Teacapán, Isla del Bosque, Cristo Rey, Colonia Morelos, Celaya, and La Concha—he indicated that reports suggest parish life is also continuing normally for the time being. “We are receiving reports that life in the churches and places of worship is more or less normal. It seems the danger lies in the streets—especially on the outskirts, where incidents mainly occur during the early morning hours—or on the highways,” he explained.
