Cubi 2026: Ascending in Faith Alongside A Universal Family

“Enculturation” is a common term in the formation classroom for a novice foreign missionary. According to Google, it is simply a process of “the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of one culture or group by a person from another culture.” It’s a way of showing respect for one’s neighbor and expresses a desire to go far deeper than surface-level relationships. To chase after this is to long for unification; a sign of universality. Enculturation is a key component for evangelization as well as strengthening an existing community of believers.

In reality, the desire to become part of a new community often requires radical trust during a rapid onset of unknown circumstances. It means diving into adventures with little in the way of realistic expectations. As daunting as they may be, these opportunities unite teams, create friendships, and build communities.

In January 2026, one of those special “unifying opportunities” took place in the heart of Mexico. At its geographic center lies a mountain peak known as El Cerro Del Cubilete, or “Cubi” for short. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Cristero Wars, a time of grave persecution of Catholics in Mexico, which some say started near this location. To commemorate this milestone, Catholic dioceses around the country called for more Mexican youth to assemble at this annual event. What followed from that invitation was astonishing.

Originally, it was estimated that 45,000 faithful Mexican youth would attend. Post-event calculations suggest as many as 75,000 climbed to the peak that day. Among the crowd, seven FMC missionaries and many more from the local youth group in General Cepeda, Mexico, braved a ten-hour bus ride to the trailhead, followed by a grueling 13.7-mile walk upwards on winding, cobblestone roads.

Missionary Madelyn Weaver is no stranger to the kind of sacrifice it takes to dive in and learn the particulars of a new mission post. In addition to being involved with the youth group in General Cepeda, she’s travelled to Mexico on several short-term mission trips in the past. That said, this particular experience had unexpected twists and turns that stretched her in new and impactful ways.

Madelyn Weaver:
When I signed up to join the youth group on this trip, I had no idea of the scale of the pilgrimage. The morning of the hike, we disembarked from our bus, entering into a steady stream of pilgrims setting out together toward the summit. Even before arriving at the official starting place for the hike, the statue was visible far above us in the distance, as miles of land speckled by both infrastructure and countryside spread below us to the mountain-lined horizon.

I soon began to feel overwhelmed at the reality of hiking amidst the growing and densifying throngs of people for hours while trying to stay with my group of 16, and encouraging them to stick together. At the same time, I wanted to be present to the youth in our group and share in conversation with them in an intentional way. I quickly realized that my own strength would not be enough. Turning to the Lord, I asked for His strength and for Him to work. As He always does when invited, He lovingly came to my aid. That is not to say that the hike was then easy—it was not. I still felt fatigued, overwhelmed at the distance, crowds, and intensity of the sun, but He gave me the strength to continue. Not only that, but He also provided beautiful encounters and fellowship along the way.

Upon reaching the top, we found ourselves shuffling through a doorway to a chapel underneath the statue. When I entered, my heart filled with peace. There was Jesus: not the statue that reminds us of Him, but He was present in the Eucharist, in the tabernacle. For a few precious moments, I rested there with Jesus, filled with joy at the reality that we had not just reached a mountain summit with a statue, however magnificent, but had reached a church which housed Jesus Himself.

The trip was not just a hike but a time to realize my littleness and accept Jesus’ strength, to encounter Him in the people around me, to witness His immensity in the beauty of His creation, and ultimately, to rest with Him in the Eucharist.

With only a two-day notice, FMC missionary community leaders, Toño and Mari Garza, were unexpectedly tagged to help chaperone the event for the youth group. Despite little time to prepare, they share how this pilgrimage impacted their faith.

Toño and Mari Garza:
Our experience in Cubilete was a great gift from God. We were invited at the last minute, and we said yes without even knowing the magnitude of the experience. Seeing 75,000 young people gathered praising and blessing God, climbing more than 10 miles, tired but with faith and hope, offering prayer and sacrifice for our families, friends, our community, and the whole world. Upon reaching the summit and kneeling at the feet of Christ the King, and knowing that even though we at times feel alone or discouraged, there is a young and dynamic Church growing and believing in God. Long live Christ the King and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe! The cry of our martyrs continues to resonate in the hearts of our people, helping many to continue walking in faith.

Toño and Mari’s daughter, Gema, age 26, works closely with the local youth group. Her reflection on the experience, from preparation to the day of the hike, was a beautiful testament to endurance and trust in the Lord.

Gema Garza:
After a time of great heartache and learning to be “social” again, going to Cubilete had a very clear purpose for me: TO REACH THE SUMMIT.

The experience filled me with many petitions to Jesus and, at the same time, heartfelt thanks. I thought about giving up because of the pain in my feet, the heat, the fatigue, and some negative emotions along the way, but thanks to the special intentions of some friends, I didn’t give up. I fought with even more determination to reach the top. A girl with experience told me it was like being in heaven, but for me, it was a reminder that heaven is always here beside me. No matter how difficult and tiring the walk in faith may be, Christ always awaits us with open arms to comfort our hearts, giving us the strength not to give up, and to fight for our faith. Long live Christ the King!”

As soon as they moved with their family to General Cepeda, missionary kids James, now age 15, and Kadiatu, age 14, jumped right into their own enculturation experience by joining the youth group at the local parish. They continue to soak up the language and the culture through their new friendships. Once they heard about the Cubi event, they were all in and wanted nothing more than to join their new friends in the challenge.

James Caldwell:
The Cubi experience was fun and exciting and taught me to never give up. It was a joy to hike with the other youth from our church. Like life, nothing is easy by yourself. Having a group of faithful friends makes the journey so much better.

Kadiatu Caldwell:
This was a difficult hike. It was cold in the morning and then hot when the sun came out. There were so many people! And, it got more difficult throughout the day. But when we reached the top of the mountain, I felt very happy and relieved, seeing Jesus with His arms stretched out. It was like He was opening His arms to welcome us, even in this hard time.

For foreign missionaries, taking risks is part of growing closer to their new communities. These opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, from shaky, first-time multi-lingual conversations to unforeseen and exhilarating mountaintop experiences. The intent behind saying “yes” to these challenges remains the same. By growing in trust to God’s plan for their lives, missionaries are rewarded with deeper and more meaningful relationships, ultimately strengthening the fraternal bonds within Mother Church. This exact type of Kingdom-strengthening prepares the faithful for impactful and transformative Kingdom-building. United, the missionaries walk arm-in-arm with their neighbors, demonstrating the beauty and fortitude of God’s universal family.