Prayers for Mario José Peña

Beloved Manchaca UMC Church Family,

Over the past several months, members of Manchaca UMC have developed new and creative expressions of hospitality, mission, and service that build upon the work of the food pantry. In response, several of our neighbors have begun volunteering, attending worship and Sunday School, and enrolled in new English language courses.

These neighbors share sincere faith in God and a deep appreciation for the inclusive love they have found at Manchaca UMC. Mario José Peña, a refugee from Venezuela, was one of the first to participate in these new mission initiatives.

On Tuesday, June 10, I accompanied Mario to a court summons for his asylum case at the Immigration Court in San Antonio, Texas. The court shut down his case and handed him over to ICE to be detained, a fate suffered by everyone who had obeyed their summons that day. Mario, age 71, has spent the last month in a for-profit detention center in Karnes City.

Last Sunday afternoon, Mario’s family and friends created a small memorial altar near the Sol de Justicia Sunday School classroom and invited our congregation to a moment of sharing and prayer. I felt it worthwhile to share with you the words brought by Mario’s daughter María José Peña. Please remember Mario and others like him in your prayers as those closest to him work together to procure his release.

Pastor John Feagins

Sol de Justicia Sunday School Class

Memorial Altar for Mario

Photo Courtesy San Antonio Express News

TESTIMONY OF MARÍA JOSÉ PEÑA

Good afternoon,

Today I am here before you to talk about my father, Mario José Peña. We arrived in the United States in August 2024, fleeing our country in search of protection and safety for our family, as we are unfortunately subjected to political persecution for thinking differently. Several members of our family have been tortured.

My father is elderly, 71 years old. Sadly, in October 2024, he was admitted to St. Davis Hospital here in Austin after suffering a stroke, which left him with considerable after-effects and injuries.

Since June 10, my father has been detained at the Karnes Immigration Detention Center. He was detained after leaving his immigration court hearing in San Antonio, Texas. We are following the legal processes requested by the state, but I never thought that doing things correctly would lead to his detention.

I have been taking care of my father since 2019, a promise I made to my mother before she passed away. She asked me to please take care of him. My father needs to be released; his health is deteriorating inside. His blood pressure and diabetes are very high. He's had a fever, and the food they're giving him isn't healthy, which is causing his deterioration. I'm afraid he could die inside.

My father can't be deported to Venezuela for several reasons. He has no family there; his only family is here, his children and grandchildren. My father was erased from the records and system of the Venezuelan Social Security Institute, listing him as deceased.

My father is a person deeply loved by everyone. Wherever he goes, he builds a community. Here, for example, he won the affection of many parishioners and Pastor Juanito, helping Latinos like him and me integrate, guiding the pastor to provide us with English classes and Bible study in Spanish.

In the community where we live, my father is also loved and respected. We all miss Dad at home. My dad has a kitten with whom he spent his afternoons playing; they both slept together on the balcony couch. We want our father back. Without him, the house is empty, and there's so much sadness. He's my companion on the road when I work as a DoorDash delivery driver. My children miss their grandfather. He is a very dear person.

En Español

Buenas tardes,

Hoy me encuentro aquí ante ustedes para hablar acerca de mi padre, Mario José Peña. Llegamos a los EE. UU. en agosto de 2024, huyendo de nuestro país en busca de protección y seguridad para nuestra familia, ya que lamentablemente somos perseguidos políticos por pensar diferente. Varios miembros de nuestra familia han sido torturados.

Mi padre es una persona de avanzada edad, tiene 71 años. Lamentablemente, en octubre de 2024 fue recluido en el hospital St. Davis aquí en Austin por presentar un derrame cerebral, lo que le dejó secuelas y daños considerables.

Desde el 10 de junio, mi padre se encuentra detenido en el centro de detención de migración de Karnes. Fue detenido al salir de su audiencia en la corte de migración en San Antonio, Texas. Nosotros estamos siguiendo los procesos legales que pide el estado, pero jamás pensé que por hacer las cosas correctamente lo detuvieran.

Me he hecho cargo de mi papá desde el año 2019, promesa que le hice a mi madre antes de fallecer. Ella me encargó que, por favor, lo cuidara. Mi padre necesita estar afuera, allí adentro está empeorando su salud. Su presión y su diabetes están muy altas. Ha tenido fiebre y la alimentación que le dan no es saludable, lo que ocasiona su deterioro. Me da miedo que pueda perder la vida ahí adentro.

Mi padre no puede ser deportado a Venezuela por varias razones. No tiene familia allá, su única familia estamos acá, sus hijos y sus nietos. Mi papá fue borrado de los registros y del sistema del Instituto Venezolano del Seguro Social, colocándolo como fallecido.

Mi papá es una persona muy amada por todos. Donde llega, hace comunidad. Aquí, por ejemplo, se ganó el cariño de muchos feligreses y del pastor Juanito, haciendo que los latinos como él y como yo nos integremos, orientando al pastor para que nos brindara el servicio de las clases de inglés y el estudio bíblico en español.

En la comunidad donde vivimos, mi papá también es amado y respetado. Todos extrañamos a papá en la casa. Mi papá tiene una gatita con quien pasaba sus tardes jugando; ambos dormían juntos en el sillón del balcón. Queremos a nuestro padre de vuelta. Sin él, la casa es un vacío, se siente mucha tristeza. Es mi acompañante de ruta cuando trabajo haciendo repartos de DoorDash. Mis hijos extrañan a su abuelo. Él es una persona muy amada.