A priest in Mission says a planned border wall near a historic chapel will disrupt a sacred space.

Father Roy Snipes holds Mass at La Lomita Chapel every Friday morning at the crack of dawn. He's been connected to the site for 46 years and made his final vows as an Oblate there.

"I was just filled with a sense of all the people who'd ever prayed here and all of the masses that had ever been celebrated here," Snipes said.

Border wall construction is now set to move forward near the chapel. Efforts to stop the project in 2019 failed.

Funds have been awarded to build the wall and place water buoys in the Rio Grande.

"You can't imagine why they would mess it up," Snipes said.

Ruben Villegas has visited La Lomita Chapel since the 1950s. He worries the wall will keep people away.

"The people will actually stop coming because they'll have Border Patrol all over the place, and then you probably have ICE on top of us," Villegas said.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, the project is marked as awarded and is either in the design phase or early construction.

The border wall is expected to be built north of the chapel, placing the more than 160-year-old church behind the border wall. 

Channel 5 News reached out to CBP for an exact timeline but has not received a response.

President Trump signed two executive orders prioritizing border wall construction to reach operational control of the border.

La Lomita Chapel sits in a public park owned by the City of Mission. A city spokesperson told Channel 5 News people will still have access to the park even with a border wall in place.

"The city of Mission is committed to preserving public access to La Lomita Historical Park and its historic chapel. We will continue working closely with our federal partners to ensure that both residents and city personnel maintain appropriate access to this important site," a city spokesperson said in a statement. "The city remains dedicated to protecting access to our historical landmarks while continuing to prioritize the safety and needs of our community."

Border wall construction has already been completed near Chimney Park off Conway Avenue. People there can access the other side of the wall through an opening.

"If our adversaries, who are so ferocious about putting a wall between the chapel and the community, if they would come here and pray a while, I think maybe the spirit would give them a different view, a different vision," Snipes said.

Snipes said he'll continue to fight to make sure everyone can access what he considers hallowed ground.

"It reminds us to be humble and kind. We're in a world that celebrates and promotes arrogance and cruelty, and this chapel says the opposite," Snipes said.

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