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Sacred Heart Parish in Navojoa

A Picturesque, Inspirational and Interesting Place to Visit

Groundbreaking for the temple of the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Navojoa began in early 1920. The parish’s first mass was celebrated on the site on May 20, 1920, officiated by Bishop Don Juan Navarrete.

Work continued on the structure during the 1920s, but was halted during the period of the Cristero War in Mexico, a rebellion caused by the Mexican government’s enforcement of secular provisions of the 1917 Mexico Constitution. During that time, some protesters took images of saints from the church and smashed them on Calle Morelos.

The building of the temple was renewed after that time, and the church’s apse was completed in 1940. Construction on the rest of the temple began anew in 1952 and the church building was completed in December of 1957.

The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a beautiful place of worship located just a block from the city’s Plaza Cinco de Mayo. It is not only a spiritual center in Navojoa, but also a popular place for tourists to visit.

Sonora Profiles – President Alvaro Obregon

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The General Obregon House Museum

A True Sonoran Leader and Hero

One of Sonora’s most esteemed native sons is a man who was a farmer from Southern Sonora who was called to war, where he became a key figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 – 1920. He went on to become one of the most influential presidents in Mexican history.

Alvaro Obregon Salido was born on February 19, 1880 in Siquisiva, in the municipality of Navajoa in the state of Sonora, Mexico.

President Obregon was a chickpea farmer whose agricultural work was interrupted by the Mexican Revolution of 1910 – 1920. In 1914 he split with fellow revolutionaries Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata to follow Sonora’s position to side with Cohuila Governor Venustiano Carranza, who was the governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila and was also waging a revolution against the Huerta regime.

Carranza appointed Obregon to serve as his minister of war in 1915, but in 1920 General Obregon launched a revolt against Carranza and that same year became the 39th president of Mexico.

The presidency of Alvaro Obregon Salido provided much-needed stability in a country that had been torn apart by a long war, and he is credited with making major national reforms in education, land and labor rights.

President Obregon returned to the battlefield in 1923-24 when his Finance Minister Adolfo de la Huerta launched a rebellion. Obregon quashed the uprising with some assistance from the U.S.

Obregon selected his successor, Interior Minister Plutarco Elias Calles, who was a fellow Sonoran (born in Guaymas) and revolutionary general. President Elias Calles was elected to office in 1924.

And although Don Alvaro Obregon retired to Sonora after he left office, he still held political sway, and after the Mexican Constitution was changed to allow a Mexican president to serve two terms, Obregon was again elected to the presidency of the republic in 1928.

However, before he was to take office Alvaro Obregon was assassinated by José de León Toral, who shot Obregon in the back of the head while showing him a caricature he had drawn.

The assassination was in San Angel, Mexico City on July 17, 1928. General Obregon was buried in Huatabampo, Sonora and left a wife and seven children.

President Obregon’s contributions to the modern-day prosperity of Sonora continue thanks to his wide-sweeping and forward-looking reforms, and he is a revered figure not only in the state of Sonora but in all of Mexico.

A Bus Trip to Southern Sonora

A plaza dedicated to President Obregon in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora

A Bus Trip to Southern Sonora

There’s typically not a lot of tourism activity in Sonora during the summer months, especially the late summer. That may be why the TAP (Transportes Autobuses Pacifico) bus line offered a half-price sale between major Sonora destinations in August.

I knew that it would be hot and humid in Southern Sonora, but I was ready for a trip, and with cut-rate transportation (and discounted summer lodging rates) I decided to go.

There were some specific destinations I wanted to visit on this trip. Two of the places I’d visited before, Ciudad Obregon and Alamos, and two others where I had not been before – Huatabampo and the beach at Huatabampito.

I crossed the border on foot at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales. There are bus lines (like Tufesa and TBC) that offer transportation from US cities like Tucson and Phoenix (as well as Nogales, Arizona), but since I was traveling on TAP I decided to walk across the border and take a taxi to the bus station in Nogales, Sonora.

A traveler’s tip – if you are traveling on foot with a suitcase or large bag, rather than trying to squeeze through the border turnstile you can push the button located on the wall to the right of the turnstiles and a Mexican customs official will buzz open the door located between the turnstiles.

If you don’t have a Mexican visa, you’ll need to stop at the office that issues travel documents to get one. If you are going to stay for five days or fewer, the visa is free. Otherwise, the process involves walking to a nearby bank to pay for the visa (you may want to withdraw some pesos from the ATM during the visit), and returning to the issuing office to complete the paperwork, so it’s best to get your visa in advance. They’re valid for six months.

After passing through Mexican customs, walk straight ahead for about 30 yards and you’ll see (and hear) the taxi drivers, asking if you need a taxi. The ride to the TAP bus station (central de camiones TAP) takes 10-15 minutes, depending on traffic, and typically costs 60-70 pesos (about $5).

TAP has a new terminal on Avenue Obregon, next door to a new Tufesa terminal. Both are modern and comfortable, and you’ll want to check departure times and prices online as part of your online planning.

There are other bus lines and terminals in Nogales as well, but these two are probably the best options for getting where you want to go, with one exception – if you plan to go to Caborca or Rocky Point, the Albatross bus line located at the TBS terminal a short distance past TAP/Tufesa has direct buses every two hours. TBC also has direct buses to Alamos.

After purchasing my ticket (about $15), passing through the customs check and waiting a short time in the terminal’s waiting area (another tip – use the restroom at the bus station – even though the buses have one or two restrooms, they’ll be cleaner at the terminal) the bus departed on time.

While I’m thinking about it, here are three more bus traveler’s tips:

1. Bring a carry-on bag for snacks, camera, and other essentials you’ll need during the trip. Check your larger pieces of luggage at the side of the bus before boarding – the bus line employee who checks your luggage will want to know your destination, so that he can put the correct tag on your bag. Make sure to get the stub of the claim ticket, you’ll need it to claim your luggage at your destination.

2. Bring a bottle of water and food/snacks for the trip. The bus may make some brief stops along the way, but the snacks will cost more and the food may not be to your liking.

3. Keep your change handy – most bus stations now have coin-operated turnstiles to enter their restrooms. The turnstiles typically cost 4 pesos, and they make change from larger peso denominations. There may be someone outside the restroom handing out pieces of toilet paper, but don’t count on it – better to bring a small supply of your own.

The trip to Ciudad Obregon took about eight hours from Nogales, making brief stops in Santa Ana, Hermosillo, Guaymas and Empalme. The bus was also stopped by soldiers along the way for a brief inspection. The trip also included bus journeys to Navojoa, Alamos and Huatabampo, Sonora.

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