Day 4

Each year, the itinerary for the "Awareness Through Immersion" trip changes slightly in order to reflect and honor the interests of the group members who are traveling from the U.S.  Though every request cannot always be fulfilled, our hosts find as many opportunities as possible for true immersion and collaboration that reflect the interests of those who are traveling.  This year, the request was made to experience a children's choir rehearsal (since one group member was the choir director and music teacher at Holy Cross School).  Therefore, Day 4 began by joining La Luz Parish's children's choir for their Sunday morning rehearsal before Mass.  What a joy it was to not only hear the youth sing but also to spend time with them, sharing stories, ideas, and music!  After having heard and practiced the songs during rehearsal with the choir, the immersion group was able to more fully participate in the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass.  It was truly a blessing for group members to be able to participate in such an interactive and joyful manner.

Each Wednesday and Sunday, a local marketplace comes to life in the neighborhood near La Luz Parish.  

The immersion team spent time wandering the marketplace stalls after Mass and enjoyed freshly made churros!  

Later, the immersion group explored the Horno 3 Museum, located at the site of the former Monterrey Foundry (Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey, S.A.), a steel foundry company of great importance to the economic development of the city during the 20th century.   

They were lucky enough to get to the top of the furnace right before the attraction was closed to visitors due to rain.  They then passed the rainiest portion of the afternoon inside the museum where they were treated to a guided tour that explained the history of how the foundry helped shape a large part of Monterrey’s current identity as an industrial city. Once the rain had subsided, they enjoyed a long walk from the steel foundry to downtown Monterrey, where they visited the main plaza and the cathedral and then did a little souvenir shopping.  Downtown was a busy place, with many people preparing for the Independence Day celebrations that would start later that evening.

The group had evening plans to return to the main plaza and participate in “El Grito,” a beloved tradition in which, after the ringing of bells, the governor repeats a cry of patriotism with the names of the important heroes of the Mexican War of Independence and ends with the threefold shout of “¡Viva México!"