Climbing Cerro del Águila, climbing in faith!
From the lands of Baborigame, in the Sierra Tarahumara community, Father Octavio, C.R., who leads the Theatine mission there, shares his account of this experience with us.
Thank you so much, Fr. Tavo!!! May the Good Lord continue to bless you, and we accompany you with our prayers!
Climbing Cerro del Águila, climbing in faith!
This Monday, March 30, 2026, 31 people—including teenagers, young adults, women, men, and yours truly, Fr. Tavo, set out at 6:30 in the morning, guided by Mr. Esteban Rubio and his grandson Ivan Rubio, who were making their third attempt to climb to the summit of Cerro del Águila. We departed from the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Boborigame. We passed by Mr. Esteban’s ranch, “Las Pilas.”
This hiking journey through the lands of Baborigame was a challenging experience, an experience of faith, because we all had the confidence that we would reach the summit of Cerro del Águila.
At the “Las Pilas” ranch, we began with a prayer and committed ourselves to staying united and supporting one another, and so it was; we all went, we reached the summit of Cerro del Águila, we spent time together, shared a snack, celebrated the Eucharist, had fun, sang, and from the summit we gazed upon Baborigame with an eagle’s eye, getting to know and admiring nature and the wonderful landscapes.
We might ask ourselves, “Have you ever faced challenges or problems that seem like mountains impossible to climb?”……This experience teaches us that we all encounter challenges—obstacles to face—that may seem difficult and even impossible to overcome. But when there is faith, when you trust in God, in others, and in yourself, and allow yourself to be guided, fostering unity, we can achieve anything.
Climbing Cerro del Águila has been like climbing the path of faith; just as a climber trains their muscles and legs, we must exercise our faith. How? Through prayer, listening to the Word of God, the Eucharist, and walking together, always in unity, as the people of God. Every time we pray together and set out to do something for the good of the community, it is like a firm step in our ascent.
We are not called to climb alone. Community is very important on our journey through life. In the same way, this is how our parish community of Baborigame should be. Just as we walk together up this Cerro del Águila, so must we walk together through our struggles and triumphs with others who provide us with support and motivation.
Finally, we reached the summit of Cerro del Águila together, and thank God, we returned safely. This is the moment when you realize that all the effort was worth it. At the summit, you can see the full panorama and appreciate the beauty of our own towns of Baborigame, Rancho Blanco, and Palos Muertos. This is where we experience the true peace and joy that only God can give us.
Thank you all for saying yes, for your willingness to climb Cerro del Águila, thank you for your enthusiasm, for your persevering effort; may this experience always help us achieve our goals and always climb to the highest heights, to grow and better ourselves in life—nothing is impossible when we trust in God.
Fraternally,
Theatine, Fr. Tavo
