Seven young people in Mexico were fatlally shot by gangsters while attending a Catholic festival in the state of Guanajuato, the Christian Today website reports today (May 23, 2025).
On the morning of May 19, a group of gunmen -- believed to be from the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel -- drove into the middle of town and started shooting at those attending the Catholic festival.
Open Doors placed Mexico at 31 on its 2025 watch list of the worst countries for persecution, ahead of some Islamic and communist countries.
While on the face of it a Christian counrtry, the scourge of gang violence means that many ordinary citizens -- regardless of their faith -- can be the targets of gang violence. Faith leaders who openly oppose the gangs face the real danger of abduction and/or murder.
The Episcopal Conference of Mexico said of he festival shooting that people "cannot remain indifferent in the face of the spiral of violence that is wounding so many communities."
The local archbishop, Jaime Calderon, said he believed the attack was part of a gang war between Santa Rosa de Lima and a rival cartel known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Open Doors suggests the following prayer for the situation in Mexico:
"Heavenly Father, thank you for our brothers and sisters in Mexico, and for their courage in standing up to the violence and crime that is so rife in the country. Strengthen them and fill them with Your Holy Spirit; give them the right words to say as they continue to stand against injustice.
"Protect believers from being recruited by criminal gangs and bring an end to the hold that these groups have over the nation. Help believers from indigenous backgrounds to find safe places to meet and worship -- may their testimonies shine Your light in dark places, Amen."