Mobilizing for social justice

Noting how difficult it can be to get people of faith to join advocacy initiatives or campaigns, the St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace and Ecology is offering a webinar on how to mobilize people for social justice.
 
This free event is tomorrow (Tuesday, May 17) at 4:00 p.m. It is 90 minutes long and includes time for questions and answers.
 
The sponsor notes how overwhelming it can be to reach out to our communities, especially when some people can be indifferent or hostile to the issue we care about (such as with immigration reform) or even deny there’s a problem (such as with climate change). The announcement states that they will share “some of the tools to have effective and transformative one-on-one conversations about social justice issues as well as how to organize your community to achieve advocacy ‘wins.’”
 
Here is information about the panelists:

Colin Martinez Longmore is the Outreach and Education Specialist at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. Prior to working at NETWORK, Colin served in parish ministry for seven years in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in Southern California. He directed bilingual faith formation programs, led retreats, and spoke at Diocesan youth conferences. He also mentored teens and young adults in juvenile hall and youth vocational work programs.
 
Wesley Cocozello is the Communications and Outreach Manager for the St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace and Ecology. In this role, he organizes mission exposure trips, facilitates advocacy skills trainings, and creates educational content. Before this, he worked for Catholic Climate Covenant, ending his tenure there as Director of Operations. He holds a degree in English Literature from the Catholic University of America, and has produced a number of literary and theatrical projects.

For more information or to register, click here. If you are not able to attend the webinar, you can watch a recording here.

Bishop calls for immigration reform, again

As 2021 comes to an end, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration is reminding our elected leaders that immigration reform remains an important issue. In a statement issued this month, Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington, noted that there is strong support among Americans for congressional action on immigration.

“While the road ahead is uncertain, the present reality remains clear: the status quo cannot stand. Almost half of the 11 million undocumented persons living in the United States today have lived here for at least 15 years. Many others are receiving temporary protections but lack access to permanent solutions. They are mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. They are essential workers, homeowners, and entrepreneurs. Most importantly, they are persons created equally in God’s image, imbued with a potential far beyond the limits of their current immigration status.” 

He noted that the bishops have advocated for a bipartisan solution to the issue, calling for Congress to “promote the full integration of undocumented persons and to create a more sustainable immigration system, consistent with the common good.”
 
The entire statement is here.

Day 4 – Immigration Q & A

Today we look at some of the basics of immigration such as:

Who is an immigrant?
According to U.S. law, an immigrant is a foreign-born individual who has been admitted to reside permanently in the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).

Who is a refugee?
A refugee is a person outside of the United States who seeks protection on the grounds that he or she fears persecution in his or her homeland. To obtain refugee status, a person must prove that he or she has a "wellfounded fear of persecution" on the basis of at least one of five specifically-enumerated and internationally recognized grounds.

What public benefits do immigrants and refugees receive?
Most benefits programs are open only to long-term, lawful immigrants. A small number of programs (such as school lunch programs and emergency medical services) are open to all people in need.

Longer answers to these and other questions can be found at
http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/immigration-basics.shtml

Day 3 -- Immigration Q & A

Does the Catholic Church support “amnesty”?

The Catholic bishops are proposing an earned legalization for those in this country in an unauthorized status and who have built up equities and are otherwise admissible. “Amnesty,” as commonly understood, implies a pardon and a reward for those who did not obey immigration laws, creating inequities for those who wait for legal entry. The bishops’ proposal is not an “amnesty.”

The Bishops’ earned legalization proposal provides a window of opportunity for undocumented immigrants who are already living in our communities and contributing to our nation to come forward, pay a fine and application fee, go through rigorous criminal background checks and security screenings, demonstrate that they have paid taxes and are learning English, and obtain a visa that could lead to permanent residency, over time.

Learn more at http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/faq.shtml

Day 2 -- Immigration Q & A

Does the Catholic Church support illegal immigration? 

The Catholic Bishops do not condone unlawful entry or circumventions of our nation’s immigration laws.  The bishops believe that reforms are necessary in order for our nation’s immigration system to respond to the realities of separated families and labor demands that compel people to immigrate to the United States, whether in an authorized or unauthorized fashion. 

Our nation’s economy demands foreign labor, yet there are insufficient visas to meet this demand.  Close family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents face interminable separations, sometimes of twenty years or longer, due to backlogs of available visas.  U.S. immigration laws and policies need to be updated to reflect these realities.

Q & A about immigration reform

Today we begin a week of questions and answers about immigration reform and the Catholic Church. All the answers are taken from the Bishops’ website at http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org

Today’s question: Why does the church care about immigration policies?

The Catholic Church has historically held a strong interest in immigration and how public policy affects immigrants seeking a new life in the United States. Based on Scriptural and Catholic social teachings, as well as her own experience as an immigrant Church in the United States, the Catholic Church is compelled to raise her voice on behalf of those who are marginalized and whose God-given rights are not respected.

The Church believes that current immigration laws and policies have often led to the undermining of immigrants’ human dignity and have kept families apart.  The existing immigration system has resulted in a growing number of persons in this country in an unauthorized capacity, living in the shadows as they toil in jobs that would otherwise go unfilled.  Close family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents must wait years for a visa to be reunited.  And, our nation’s border enforcement strategies have been ineffective and have led to the death of thousands of migrants. 

The Church has a responsibility to shine the message of God on this issue and help to build bridges between all parties so that an immigration system can be created that is just for all and serves the common good, including the legitimate security concerns of our nation.

The sower, the seeds and immigration reform

Deacon Walter Ayres, director of the Commission on Peace and Justice, reflected on the Gospel and immigration reform in his homily for July 13, the 15th Sunday of Ordinary time:

            Today’s Gospel is so familiar to most of us, that the church doesn’t even require that we read it in its entirety. Instead, we have the option of reading a shortened version, as I did today.

            As Jesus explains in the full version of the Gospel, the seed that falls along the path is the person who hears the message without understanding it.

            The seed that fell on patches of rock is the person who first receives the message with joy, but falters when times get rough.

            The seed sown among the thorns is the person who hears the message, but who is choked off by worldly anxiety and the lure of money.

            Finally, the seed on good soil is the person who hears the word and takes it in, resulting in a miraculous yield.

            I assume that most Christians think of themselves as belonging to that last category, but many of them are wrong.

            We need to read the signs of the times to understand this better.

            Now, the phrase “the signs of the times” has been of particular importance to Catholics since Vatican II, because it signifies an understanding that the Church needs to attend more closely to the world if it is to remain faithful to its calling. It has been used by every Pope since Pope John XXIII.

            And when we read today’s Gospel in light of the signs of the times, we can see that it gives us a lens through which we can comprehend the issues of our time, such as the current immigration crisis.

            You see, this reading comes at a particularly opportune time.

            Just this week, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops held a national migration conference in Washington.

            The goals were to share and apply Catholic Social Teaching on migration; and to deepen the capacity of diocesan and parish leaders to minister to, and advocate for, immigrants, refugees, and other people on the move.

            This occurred around the time people were blocking buses with immigrant children and families from places where they could be housed and fed.

            And the hatred spewing from the mouths of some protestors was a disgrace to us as a nation and a people.

            The influx of unaccompanied children is an important issue that we must face, but we must do it with the love and understanding that our faith requires of us.

            Now, the plight of immigrants is imbedded in our sacred scripture. From the plight of the Hebrew people in Egypt to the flight of Jesus and his family to escape from Herod, immigrants are presented to us as people for whom we must show particular concern.

            The children who cross our borders have crossed some of the worst land we can imagine, and under the worst conditions.

            They are the seeds that God has scattered on the ground. And we are called to help them grow.

            How do we know?

            The bible tells us so.

            In the book of Exodus we are told, “Do not oppress the stranger: you know how a stranger feels, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt.”

            Psalm 82 tells us, “No more mockery of justice . . . rescue the weak and the needy.”

            Isaiah tells us, “Woe to legislators of infamous laws . . . who refuse justice to the unfortunate.”

            Jeremiah proclaims, “Do not exploit the stranger . . .”

            The message is carried throughout Leviticus, Proverbs, and other books of the bible.

            So what are we to do?                                                           

            First, we must understand that these children are like the seeds mentioned in today’s Gospel. They have fallen on the worst ground, and they are being choked off by worldly anxiety and the lure of money. By lure of money, I mean the fear some people have that immigrants will take their jobs, a belief which has been proven false.

            Some people fear that immigrants are a burden on the healthcare system, which has been shown not to be true.

            Others argue that they are a drain on the economy, and that, too, is not correct.

            Our church, through Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services, is working to help these vulnerable people.

            And because the church sees the world as it is, and not how we would like it to be, we are working in Central America to provide education and employment opportunities to young people so that they will not feel that they have to leave their country in order to find a better life.

            These children have the potential – as do our own children – of producing the miraculous harvest that Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel, a harvest of a hundred-fold.

            One of them might discover the medicine that may someday save your life.

            Or they might start a company that employs your grandchild.

            They might return to their own country and become a politician who promotes the good that is needed at that time.

            But none of that can happen if we don’t take care of them now.

            When we think of today’s Gospel – about the sower and the seeds and the harvest – we must think not only about these children and the harvest they can provide as they mature. We must also ask ourselves what kind of harvest we are producing in our own lives.

            Does the word of God produce in us a willingness to help others in need, a desire to care for our neighbors as ourselves?

            Or has our love of neighbor been choked off by the weeds of selfishness and fear?

            Can we provide a bountiful harvest of love and compassion, or will we ignore the face of Jesus in these desperate children?

            The gospel of Matthew tells us that one day Jesus will come to us and we will ask Him, “when…. when did I see you?” When did I see you a stranger? When did I see you hungry? When did I see you needing clothes?

            Today, as you hear my words, a little girl is on her way across a desert land. A little boy is walking the same path. There is a good chance that both of them are Catholic.

            If they do not die alone on the way, they will arrive here as strangers. They will be hungry. They probably will need clothes.

            Like the tender shoots of today’s parable, their grip on life will be tenuous at best.

            We can help them by praying – praying for their safety and for a resolution to the current crisis.

            We also can send money to Catholic Charities or Catholic Relief Services.

            And we can contact our legislators and ask them to support sensible and fair immigration reform, and let them know that we do not object to housing some of these children in our own community as they await the next phase of their journey.

            But we must not stand idly by and do nothing.

           

            When the attendees at this week’s Migration Conference received their registration packet, they found a letter from the office of the Vatican Secretariat of State, who wrote to them on behalf of Pope Francis. This is part of what he had to say:

            “It is [the Pope’s] hope that, in the best traditions of the Church in the United States, the Catholic community will continue to welcome new immigrants, defend the unity of families, and provide opportunities for their full integration into society.”

            May the Pope not be disappointed in how we respond to this current immigration crisis.

On Fire for Immigration Reform

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking Catholics across the country to join together for seven days of prayer, reflection, and action to heal our broken immigration system.

Starting on Monday, June 2 and continuing through Sunday, June 8 (Pentecost Sunday), each day will be centered on one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Participants will be asked to pray the Prayer of the Holy Spirit, the daily reflection, and the closing prayer.

In addition, the Bishops provide educational resources and suggest actions for individuals and groups. You can learn more at On Fire for Immigration Reform.

Bishops promote immigration reform

Members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’(USCCB) Committee on Migration will travel to Capitol Hill, May 29, to urge lawmakers in the House of Representatives to act on immigration reform legislation.

According to an article from Catholic News Service, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration said, “The only real solution to this broken system is action by Congress. We need a debate and vote on this issue. Inaction is equivalent to supporting the status quo, which Americans agree needs to be changed.”

Earlier this year, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles wrote an article entitled “What can we do now on immigration reform?” in which he wrote:

Since 2008, our government has deported nearly 2 million people and nearly a half million more are locked up in immigration detention centers.

And as I’ve been repeating, these are not just numbers, these are real people. One in every four persons who is being arrested or deported is being ripped out of their homes — taken away from their children, their wives and husbands, all their relatives.

We need to keep reminding our leaders — and our neighbors — about these basic “human facts.” Most of the 11 million undocumented in our country have been living here for five years or more. Two-thirds have been here for at least a decade.

The vast majority pose no criminal danger to our community. Just the opposite. They are going to church and working alongside us, paying taxes, making our country and our communities stronger.
. . .
Any true reform must provide a generous path to citizenship for our 11 million undocumented brothers and sisters. A just and compassionate society can’t allow an underclass of people to keep growing at the margins of our society, living in constant fear of arrest, without rights or reasons to hope.

So let’s keep praying for our country and for our leaders.

And let us ask Mary, our Blessed Mother, to give us the courage to always do what is right and just.

To learn more about the issues of immigration and what you can do, visit the Justice for Immigrants website of the USCCB.

Immigration reform info

Confused about all the talk involving immigration reform? The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has a short  background paper about the need for comprehensive reform here. On the Bishops’ agenda:

1) a path to citizenship for the undocumented population in the country;

2) reform of the family-based immigration system to reunite families—husband, wife, and children—more expeditiously;

3) a future flow low-skilled worker program for migrant workers to enter and work in the U.S. safely and legally;

4) the restoration of due process protections for immigrants; and

5) policies which address the root causes of migration--poverty and persecution.

Act now for immigration reform

Because the U.S. Senate has passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation and the House of Representatives is currently considering whether to address immigration reform legislation, now is a critical time to contact your House members and urge them to pass common sense immigration reform. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has many resources at the Justice for Immigrants website, including a bulletin announcement that tells us:

The U.S. Catholic Bishops, through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), have urged Congress to pass immigration reform which: 

- Provides a path to citizenship for undocumented persons living in the United States; 

- Preserves and strengthens family unity as a cornerstone of our national immigration system; 

- Provides legal avenues for low-skilled immigrants to come and work in the United States; 

- Restores due process for individuals caught up in the immigration system 

- Promotes efforts that will address the root causes of migration, such as poverty and persecution Please contact your House members today and urge them to support immigration reform legislation that provides a path to citizenship for the undocumented and that preserves family unity.  

Action: Contact Members of Congress through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters. - To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.justiceforimmigrants.org - Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Members’ offices. For more information, go to www.house.gov  

Message: Please pass bipartisan immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship and preserves family unity.   

When: Act today and encourage others to do so as well.

For those who wish to meet with their Representatives in person, here are talking points for immigration reform from Catholics Confront Global Poverty, an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services. You can also watch this recording of a recent webcast for some tips and tools to make your advocacy efforts more effective.