Citing a U.S. State Department travel advisory, Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange has forbidden all church-related groups under his jurisdiction from traveling to Mexico. A March 3 memo from diocesan risk management director Michael J. Shaffer addressed to “Pastors, Administrators, Parochial Vicars, Principals, Parish/School Business Managers, Youth Ministers, Hispanic Coordinators” says Bishop Brown has decided to prohibit travel into Mexico until further notice. The memo cites a Feb. 20, 2009 State Department “travel alert” regarding travel into Mexico, which says, in part: “Mexican drug cartels are engaged in an increasingly violent conflict -- both among themselves and...
