Faith groups from both sides of the border will gather to pray and celebrate the 16h annual La Posada Sin Fronteras from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 at Border Field State Park.

The theme for this year’s posada is ‘Jesus, Mary, and Joseph: Presente!’ “The gospel narrative of the Christmas story reminds us that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had to flee oppression in their own land shortly after the birth of the Christ Child. Today holy families on both sides of the border are separated by our immigration policy and can no longer meet, even at the border fence, as a result of the completion of the secondary fence almost 100 feet to the north.”

Gilbert Gentile, SJ, will be the keynote speaker at the event. Participants will gather near the border fence at the southern end of the state park with participants from Tijuana on the Mexican side of the fence. They will sing Christmas carols and listen to speakers from both sides of the border. They will remember in prayer those who have died crossing the border into the United States in the past year. Luminarias, bearing the names of border victims, will be placed on the sea wall at the west end of the park and lit at sunset.

Other organizations co-sponsoring the event include the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Justice and Reconciliation at Point Loma Nazarene University, Border Angels, the Ecumenical Council of San Diego County, the Romero Center for Faith in Action at the University of San Diego, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, the Roman Catholic diocese of San Diego, the Immigration Ministry of the Pacifica Lutheran Synod, and numerous faith-based and human rights groups in Tijuana. Border Field State Park is located at the end of Monument Road in Imperial Beach. For more information, phone (619) 233-4114 or (619) 384-6852.