Comunidad de Luz Opens
On April 1, 2025, in Tijuana, Mexico, dozens of community leaders, clergy, and advocates gathered for the ribbon cutting of Comunidad de Luz or “Community of Light,” the newest shelter in Tijuana supporting migrant women and children. It is a testament to the healing work that can happen when people of faith answer the call to serve.
Organized by the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego (EDSD), in partnership with Via International, the Vida Joven Foundation, the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Anglican Church in Tijuana, the ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the culmination of years of prayer, planning, and coalition-building. The shelter will provide housing and wraparound services for up to 150 women and children fleeing violence, poverty, and instability across Latin America.
Comunidad de Luz is a sanctuary—a place where mothers and their children can breathe, rest, and begin again. The shelter is equipped not only to meet physical needs like food and lodging, but to offer mental health support, job training, spiritual care, and educational resources. It’s a place designed to nurture the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.
“We are called to walk alongside the most vulnerable,” said Bishop Susan Brown Snook of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego during the ceremony. “To offer them shelter, and the dignity and hope they deserve. Comunidad de Luz answers that call with love and our commitment to help.”
For many attendees, the opening of the shelter is the beginning of a new chapter in cross-border ministry and justice work. Attendees included local officials, clergy, community activists, and leaders from Tijuana who have worked tirelessly to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis at the border.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony began at 10:00 a.m. with remarks offered by Bishop Susan Brown Snook, “We know that many migrants in Tijuana will never make it into the US because of restrictive asylum policies, and many others have been deported and cannot return to the US. Yet they left their homelands because their lives were in danger there, and they cannot return. We believe that this shelter will transform the lives of these women and children by offering not only a safe place to stay, but also the hope of a better life in Tijuana or wherever they find themselves, through training, education and care for those here.”
Robert Vivar, EDSD’s Migration Missioner and one of the leading visionaries behind the shelter, told local reporters, “Migrant women
and children face unimaginable hardships on their journey,” he said, “Comunidad de Luz is an oasis—it is a place where people can begin to rebuild their lives with security, support, and a sense of belonging.”
The energy among attendees was deeply reverent but also joy-filled. After the ribbon was cut, guests were led on a tour of the facility, where they had the opportunity to meet staff and learn about the programs already in place.
The group later gathered for a prayer and comments from Bishop Susan, Via International’s Director Elisa Sabatini, and Vida Joven Board Member Janet Marseilles in the rooftop chapel. Bishop Snook, Sabatini, and Marseilles also serve on the board of Community of Light, the US nonprofit which supports the shelter. Father Tony Hernandez, the local Anglican Church of Mexico priest who will be offering regular services at the shelter, led us in prayer. Each partner organization brings a specific expertise and role, creating a deeply integrated support system for the residents.
Via International, a nonprofit focused on sustainable community development, has taken responsibility for adult programming within the shelter, including trauma-informed psychological care and job training. For decades, Via has offered job training and microcredit to women with classes focusing on nutrition, culinary arts, and gardening. Their approach ensures that mothers not only have a place to rest, but the tools they need to build a new future.
Vida Joven, which has served vulnerable children in Baja for decades, has committed significant financial support to the shelter’s children’s programs, and will lend its expertise in providing stability, education, and emotional support to children.
The Anglican Church in Tijuana is providing a priest, Father Hernandez, to offer regular worship services and pastoral care in the shelter’s chapel. “Faith is central t
o this mission,” Bishop Snook emphasized. “In times of uncertainty and transition, a grounded faith provides strength, healing, and hope—reminding our residents that they are not alone on their journey.”
Though the ribbon has been cut, the work of Comunidad de Luz is just beginning. Staff are already preparing for the first families to arrive in the coming days. Volunteers from both sides of the border have signed up to help with childcare, meal preparation, language classes, and transportation.
Local residents from Tijuana, along with members of San Diego congregations, are expected to become an integral part of the shelter’s community life. Leaders hope that this collaboration will continue to grow, inviting more congregations, donors, and volunteers into the mission.
“It’s not just about opening a shelter,” said Bishop Snook. “It’s about building a community—one where those who have been cast aside are brought into the center, where they can heal and be seen and be known.”
For those who wish to support Comunidad de Luz, there are many ways to get involved—from financial donations to volunteer trips and prayer support. The Diocese is actively seeking partners to ensure the sustainability of the shelter for years to come.