(CNN) -- For most of his 70 years, Hesiquio Trevizo has been a man of good will, preaching the word of God. These days, the Roman Catholic priest is a self-described capitan de la guerra -- a war veteran. That he should feel so within the confines of the sanctuary tells all about the violence and pervasive fear that have gripped the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. "None of us are entirely safe from organized crime. Not even priests," Trevizo says. He laughs, awkwardly. Trepidation leaks out with every word. Perhaps the most important aspect of his job as a priest makes him a potential target for organized crime. Criminals know that grisly details of violence have spilled out in the privacy of the confessional, and crime bosses would rather not have those details repeated or remembered.
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For Hesiquio Trevizo, fear of violence permeates his work and church
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Trevizo: "None of us are entirely safe from organized crime. Not even priests."
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He closes the doors to his church earlier; church offices are dead-bolted shut
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Juarez bishop: Drug traffickers don't want to take risk of confessions being repeated
He estimated that 1,000 of the 15,000 priests in @placeholder have been threatened in some way, and that 300 priests have been threatened directly.