(Image source from: Catholic News Agency)

Most of the delegates attending the National V Encuentro conference made it by plane, or by car if they lived locally enough.

However, not Antonio Mendez and Jose, who walked about 30 miles from Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Dallas to Grapevine, Texas, in time for the conference's closing Mass in order to raise awareness of immigration issues.

Despite the very rainy and "not good" weather that troubled the Dallas area on Saturday, the pair were capable to safely complete the walk without any major issues. They trekked to the National V Encuentro, a meeting of Latino Catholics and Hispanic from throughout the United States.

Mendez told CNA that he was inspired to do this walk in part by the recent controversy over family separations at the United States border.

"You have families struggling, (and they are) separated all over the country," said Mendez. "Children, suffering. Who's going to take care of that?"

He felt the walk was a manner of showing people that, "You have worth, you can do something, to make people (pay) attention and take care of that."

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Gomez told CNA that he feels the United States needs to make concrete moves on reforming its immigration policy and that they were a symbol of how important the immigration issue is at this time.

"Antonio and Jose, coming from Dallas to Fort Worth to be with us here at the Encuentro is a reminder to all of us of the importance of the immigration issue at this time in our country," said Gomez.

"They are very good Catholics, and the only thing they want to do is walk, praying that our elected officials, and all people in the United States, understand the importance of the immigrants that are in our country."

Gomez said that he is continuing to pray that Congress is able to come up with a solution for the problems related to immigration currently in the United States. This spring, Congress was unable to reach a compromise on various measures, including the DREAM (Development, Relief and, Education for Alien Minors) Act as well as the construction of a border wall.

"We can do it," said Gomez.

"We are always praying for that and for them to understand how important it is for so many people that already are participating for the common good of our country."

By Sowmya Sangam