Thousands march in Hermosillo as Catholic Church supports missing children families

A major march is scheduled to take place on August 30 in Hermosillo, the capital of Mexico's northwestern Sonora state, to highlight the crisis of mothers searching for missing children. The event will bring together thousands of families who have lost children to kidnapping, trafficking, or violent crime. It is the first time the Catholic Church in the region has pledged public support for the mothers’ cause.

Sonora has long struggled with one of the highest rates of missing children in Mexico. In the past decade, more than 3,000 children have been reported missing, and about 1,200 families remain without answers. Mothers have organized through groups such as “Madres de Hijos Desaparecidos” to demand justice and better policing. Their campaigns have often been met with silence or bureaucratic delays. The Church’s involvement comes after years of lobbying by the mothers and a growing awareness of the social injustice that fuels the disappearances. Archbishop Luis Rojas, who heads the Hermosillo diocese, said the church would provide legal aid, counseling, and a platform for the mothers to voice their demands to lawmakers.

The march will serve as a public demonstration of solidarity and a call for concrete action. Organizers plan to march from the cathedral to the state capitol, where they will present a petition demanding stronger anti‑kidnapping laws, increased police resources, and better victim support services. The Church will help coordinate the petition and will ask the state government to allocate at least 10% of its annual budget to child protection units. In addition, the diocese has promised to open a shelter for families of missing children, offering temporary housing and psychological support. The mothers hope that the march will force the government to take the crisis seriously and to implement reforms that prevent future disappearances. If the march gains media attention and public support, it could set a precedent for other Mexican states facing similar problems, turning a long‑standing grievance into a national policy priority.