Priest who ran migrant shelter found dead near border

TECATE, Baja California (Border Report) — A Catholic priest who served for more than 20 years at San Judas Tadeo church in Tecate, Baja California, was found dead along with another man on May 17. 

José Guadalupe Rivas Saldaña had been reported missing two days earlier.

He also ran a migrant shelter in the city of Tecate called Casa del Migrante and is said to have been an ardent advocate for migrants.

Tecate is located just south of the border about 40 miles southeast of Downtown San Diego.

According to published reports, Rivas Saldaña died from apparent head injuries.

There were also signs the priest had been tortured, according to Infovaticana, a news agency based at the Vatican in Rome.

A day after Rivas Saldaña’s body was found, the leader of the Archdiocese of Tijuana, Archbishop Francisco Moreno Barrón, prayed during a church service on social media saying the deceased priest had been “returned to the Father’s house.” He also prayed for the region stating it was “immersed in a climate of violence.”

During an interview with media members in Tijuana, Moreno Barrón demanded the Baja California Attorney General’s Office find those responsible for the murder.

No suspects have been identified, and details about the other man found dead were unknown Tuesday.

According to a documentary produced by Vatican News, at least 47 pastoral workers within the Catholic church have been killed in Mexico since 2005.

That same documentary says Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world for clergy.

Rivas Saldaña was 57 years old.