Catholic Organizations Playing a Role in Family Reunification

July 17, 2018

Some of the migrant children under age 5 separated from their families by the government were reunited with loved ones [last week] with help from Catholic organizations.

About two dozen families in all were brought back together on that date with help from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities USA and a network of other agencies from around the country.

In all, the Catholic agencies will help reunite 55 families by mid-July and provide short-term care, such as food and shelter, said Bill Canny, executive director of MRS.

“Protection of families is a foundational element of Catholic social teaching and this moment calls on all people of goodwill to lend a hand to reunite these children with their parents,” said a joint statement issued the same day by MRS and Catholic Charities USA.

The children and families were earlier separated by a policy implemented by the Trump administration at the U.S.-Mexico border, seeking to deter illegal border crossings. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in May that people risking improper entry would be subject to having their children taken away, if caught.

The Catholic Church, along with much of the country, condemned the policy and has been advocating for the families’ reunification. After much public outcry and widespread condemnation of the family separation policy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order June 20 saying families would no longer be separated but may be detained together during the process of prosecution and deportation at the border.

The U.S. bishops have expressed concerns with that possibility, asking for alternatives to detention, but seemed intent on lessening the damage already done.

The families of children under 5 that the Catholic organizations helped were reunited at government facilities and then transferred into the care of Catholic Charities organizations around the country, as well as the Annunciation House in the El Paso, Texas/Juarez, Mexico, border region.

They will be assisted with follow-up care for two months as many will leave the facilities and head toward a destination with family or a sponsor somewhere in the U.S.

Canny said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Office of Refugee Resettlement reached out to the Catholic organizations, as well as the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in early July to help with the reunifications.

Immigrant children are released from detention in McAllen, Texas.”They know we are able to tap into a vast Catholic network across the country, which proves valuable for humanitarian and disaster response,” he said.

July 15th is Mother Cabrini’s 168th Birthday

July 11, 2018

This year we celebrate the 168th anniversary of Mother Cabrini’s birth in Sant Angelo Lodigiano, near Milan Italy.

Mother Cabrini was beatified in 1938. She was canonized in 1946 and was declared the Patroness of Immigrants in 1950.

Happy Birthday, Mother Cabrini!

Women Religious Shelter and Support Asylum Seekers in U.S.

July 11, 2018

Global Sisters editor’s note: More than 68 million people had been displaced from their homes because of factors such as war, threats from gangs, natural disasters, and lack of economic opportunities at the end of 2017, the highest number of displaced since the aftermath of World War II. Of those, the United Nations considered 25.4 million to be refugees: people forced to leave their countries because of persecution, war or violence. At every stage [in their journey], Catholic women religious are doing what they can to help.

Toting a sheet of smiley-face stickers and a wagon filled with toys, 3-year-old Jocelyn was fearless. As she played in the living room, covering everyone she encountered with stickers, her mother, 18-year-old Andrea, occasionally paused from cooking to admire her handiwork. Meanwhile, 7-month-old Carlos demonstrated the crawling skills he had acquired that morning.

This happy family scene might not have been possible without Bethany House of Hospitality, a shelter in Chicago’s western suburbs, where Andrea, Jocelyn and Carlos (identified by pseudonyms for their protection) currently live. Andrea, who arrived in the United States from Guatemala when she was 17, is seeking asylum for her and her children.

The house, which is sponsored by 28 congregations of women religious and serves female asylum-seekers who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors but risked aging into adult detention, doesn’t usually shelter minors. But when the staff and board realized that on Andrea’s 18th birthday, the small family could be separated or, at best, subjected to poor conditions in family detention, they made an exception.

“Her need was so great and to think of separating her from those two little children, we all had to say, ‘We can’t say no to this,’ ” said Sr. Peggy Geraghty, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a Bethany House board member. “We couldn’t bear to split one family, let alone all the families that are being split now.”

Andrea is one of eight women currently staying at Bethany House. Fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries, they arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border and were initially put in children’s immigration detention — most of them in Chicago or Texas.

The house opened in October 2017 after Sr. Patricia Crowley of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago called a meeting of her contacts from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) Region 8 in Illinois to discuss how sisters could address immigration issues. It has already housed 17 women (including the current eight) and three children for periods ranging from a week to several months until they are able to support themselves or move in with relatives.

As religious congregations shrink and their members age, collaborative projects might be the future of religious life, Crowley and other board members suggested. With multiple congregations funding the operation and a board made up of eight sisters, Bethany House was able to rent a building with large common spaces and 10 bedrooms, and hire several staff people to manage the house and connect the young women to resources.

This model is one of the many ways that Catholic sisters around the country are supporting asylum-seekers — through services including legal aid, shelter and assistance adjusting to life in the United States.

Asylum-seekers benefit from such intensive support because they face multiple challenges in their efforts to thrive in the United States. Like other refugees, they arrive fleeing persecution and often suffering from trauma, then have to assimilate and support themselves in a new country.

Unlike refugees who are vetted in their home countries by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, asylum-seekers aren’t pre-approved to migrate and must navigate the court system to prove their right to remain while attempting to integrate and survive with little or no government assistance. (Learn more about the difference between a refugee and an asylum-seeker.)

To read the entire article: http://globalsistersreport.org/news/migration/seeking-refuge-sisters-shelter-support-asylum-seekers-they-adapt-us-54806

Families Belong Together – A Reflection on a Rally

July 11, 2018

One of the many rallies held around the nation on June 30^th to protest the separation of families who have crossed the border into the United States occurred in the sleepy village of East Quogue, in the Town of Southampton, NY. Organized by MoveOn.org. during the weeks following the news of the separation of children from parents, this peaceful rally attracted a few hundred people and some local politicians.

On this hot Saturday afternoon attendees gathered in the park carrying home-made signs and flags, and wearing T-shirts and other symbols of disagreement with the separation of children from parents. Surprising to me was that virtually all those present were apparently Caucasian, and that many came as familes with young children. Clearly it was a teaching moment for the parents who could be overheard explaining what it means to protest something, and how to conduct themselves during the speeches being delivered by a victim of the policy, a town official running for re-elction, and the organizers.

The Hamptons rely heavily upon new immigrant laborers for the many restaurants and resorts, as well as for lawn care and construction, among many other work opportunities. Recently, deli’s serving ethnic food have sprung up, and churches are welcoming laborers with services in Spanish. Immigration and other needed services are being offered, as well. Sadly, housing is a major issue: many were found camping in the woods through the winter months.

It was moving to see the white villagers and, maybe vacationers, out in support of uniting families, but it was concening that the population most affected was absent. Were they all working to keep lawns manicured, meals prepared and served, and homes cleaned on this sweltering Saturday? Were they afraid to gather in public? Maybe it was a combination of these and other motives. I’m glad we were there to represent ourselves, US citizens who know that our nation is above the the current policies coming out of the White House, and to represent them, the victims of the hate being disseminated by some. ~ by Patricia Krasnausky, President and CEO, Cabirni Eldercare

Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO Hosts 17th Annual Gala

June 27, 2018

MSCs at Mother Cabrini Shrine Gala with former Denver Broncos Guest Auctioneer

From left: Missionary Sisters Antonina, Martha, Isalia, Alice and Eileen take a moment for a photo with guest auctioneer former Denver Bronco Reggie Rivers.

The 17th annual Mother Cabrini Shrine Gala took place Friday, June 15 at the Pinnacle Club at the Grand Hyatt overlooking the city of Denver and the Rocky Mountains. Chef Andrea Frizzi, owner of Il Posto and Vero restaurants received the Company for Cabrini Award. Andrea credits the prayers of the Missionary Sisters and the intercession of Mother Cabrini for the success of his businesses. See his story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YtfyNfb6ss

Spirit of Cabrini Award winners John and Margaret Kelly with Missionary Sisters and Shrine Administrators Jeff Lewis.

From left: Sr. Antonina Avitabile, MSC, Sr. Eileen Currie, MSC, Spirit of Cabrini Award winners Margaret and John Kelly and Shrine Administrator Jeff Lewis celebrate the Kelly’s award at the 17th Annual Mother Cabrini Shrine Gala in Denver, CO.

John & Margaret Kelly were the recipients of the Spirit of Cabrini Award because of their generosity to Mother Cabrini Shrine and the Denver community over the years. See Spirit of Cabrini video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccMLHHclE9c&t=16s

During the mission moment of the evening, a new video about the Shrine was released. See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bXNmIV1Ins&t=2s

Former Denver Bronco, Reggie Rivers was the auctioneer and led a very lively and successful live auction. Additional photos can be seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/165432668@N08/

The Update: June 21, 2018

June 21, 2018

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As The Update goes to print, “President Donald Trump, [yesterday], signed an executive order that will allow immigrant families to remain together while continuing his administration’s zero tolerance policy to prosecute all people who enter the country illegally. The order does not say anything about reuniting families who have already been separated. Since the zero tolerance policy introduction in early May, more than 2300 children have been separated from their parents according to the Trump administration.” ~ National Catholic Reporter, by Brian Roewe, June 20, 2018

The following editorial appeared in last week’s National Catholic Reporter:

Family separation is an immoral, ineffective policy

~ A National Catholic Reporter editorial, June 11, 2018

“If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said during a speech to the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies May 7. “If you don’t like that,” he added, “then don’t smuggle children over our border.”

The subject of Sessions’ talk was not criminal gangs or human trafficking. He was talking about mothers and fathers seeking refuge from unrelenting violence and economic deprivation. He was talking about jailing parents for doing their duty to protect their children. [Read more…]

World Refugee Day

June 20, 2018

The U.N. refugee agency reported Tuesday that nearly 69 million people who have fled war, violence and persecution were forcibly displaced last year, a record for the fifth straight year. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the continued crises in places like South Sudan and Congo, as well as the exodus of Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar that started last year, raised the overall figure of forced displacements in 2017 to 68.5 million.

Of that total, 16.2 million were newly displaced last year — an average of more than 44,000 people per day. Most have been displaced for longer than that, some forced to flee multiple times.

“The global figure has gone up again by a couple of million,” said the High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi. “This is because of protracted conflicts and lack of solutions for those conflicts that continue, continuous pressure on civilians in countries of conflict that pushed them to leave their homes and new or aggravating crises, like the Rohingya crisis.”

For the fourth year running, Turkey was again the country with the largest number of refugees — mostly Syrians — at 3.5 million at the end of 2017. The United States received the most new individual applications for asylum last year, at nearly 332,000. Germany was second at more than 198,000.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted on Wednesday that the United States has accepted more than 3.3 million refugees for permanent resettlement — more than any other country in the world — since 1975.

“The United States will continue to prioritize the admission of the most vulnerable refugees while upholding the safety and security of the American people,” he said in a statement.

Family Separation is an Immoral and Ineffective Policy – An editorial

June 19, 2018

~ A National Catholic Reporter editorial

This was Sessions announcing the new “zero tolerance” policy for immigrants crossing illegally into the United States. We’re already seeing the effects: The number of minors in U.S. custody was 10,773 on May 29, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, an increase of about 2,000 minors in custody since the policy was announced.

Making family separation a point of government policy is unacceptable and immoral. For anyone purporting to hold and support family values it is abhorrent. On a policy level, it is ineffective: It deters no one and keeps no one safe.

As we have seen time after time with this administration, the policy was announced without being thoroughly thought through and with no planning. Border agents and child welfare agencies had no advancise warning. By early June, Homeland Security facilities to house minors were at capacity. On June 5, NBC News reported that of 550 children in detention in U.S. border stations, 300 of them had been in custody more than 72 hours — and nearly half of those are classified as “tender age children,” meaning under the age of 12. The New York Times found more than 100 children under the age of 4 have been separated from their families.

No law requires that migrant families be separated at the border. Previous administrations have treated this as an administrative, not criminal, issue. The Trump administration could to do the same but has chosen not to.

The United Nations human rights office said June 5 that the policy “is a serious violation of the rights of the child,” and called on U.S. authorities to adopt noncustodial alternatives. The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in San Diego, calling for a halt to separations and for reunification of families.

As Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration, said in a statement June 1, “Family unity is a cornerstone of our American immigration system and a foundational element of Catholic teaching. … Rupturing the bond between parent and child causes scientifically-proven trauma that often leads to irreparable emotional scarring.”

To read the complete article: https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/editorial-family-separation-immoral-ineffective-policy

Nearly 600 Institutions Back Catholic Climate Declaration

June 19, 2018

by Brian Rowe, National Catholic Reporter

Close to 600 Catholic institutions have signed the Catholic Climate Declaration, which renews Catholic support for continuing U.S. actions to address climate change despite backpedaling by the Trump administration.

The announcement June 18 of the signing coincided with the third anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment and human ecology, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”

Dan Misleh, executive director of Catholic Climate Covenant, which organized the declaration, called it “an unprecedented effort by the U.S. Catholic community to step into the void left by President [Donald] Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement” in June 2017.

“The Catholic Climate Declaration is grounded in Catholic social teaching, and it is a significant step in consolidating and galvanizing the U.S. Catholic Church’s effort to care for our common home and address climate change and to join other U.S. institutions in supporting the Paris Agreement,” he told reporters during a call June 18.

Among the signers are 37 dioceses, close to 200 religious communities, including the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, more than 100 parishes, 61 Catholic universities, and more than a dozen Catholic health care organizations, including the Catholic Health Association.

“As Catholic communities, organizations, and institutions in the United States, we join with other institutions from across American society to ensure that the United States remains a global leader in reducing emissions. We call for the Administration to join the global community and return to the Paris Agreement,” the declaration reads.

“God’s creation is in peril by our own actions,” Sr. Sharlet Wagner, president-elect of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, said on the press call. “If we know creation is a gift for us to enjoy, to safeguard and to protect for future generations, climate change presents us with a moral crisis and a moral question. We must each ask ourselves what our response will be.”

To read the full story: https://www.ncronline.org/news/environment/nearly-600-institutions-back-catholic-climate-declaration

Friday, June 8th is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 5, 2018

The Sacred Heart of Jesus was transformational in the life of Frances Cabrini. She experienced a powerful, personal experience of God’s love as it was lived and symbolized in the life and heart of Jesus. She was on fire with that love. She experienced Jesus not only as one who was loved by God and who loved her, but also as one who was missioned or sent to share that love. This experience created in her an intimate personal relationship with Jesus and, at the same time, sent Frances out to the ends of the earth as a missionary of the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

An unwavering hope in Jesus was the foundation of her life: confidence, trust, simplicity and security – not in her own powers, but in the one who loved her. I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13) was the central focus of her life.

Love, passionately expressed in her intimate, prayerful dialogue with Jesus, was made visible in concrete actions for others.

Her deep and abiding love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is Frances Cabrini’s legacy to us – a living interplay of faith, hope, and love that is a dynamic source of energy and power.

Feast Day celebrations took place throughout the Guadalupe Province as the Missionary Sisters renewed their vows and Cabrini Lay Missionaries renewed their commitments.

Feast Day, Mother Cabrini Shrine, Golden, CO

From left: Missionary Sisters Roselle Santivasi, MSC; Isalia Carvalho, MSC; Martha Lopez, MSC; Alice Zanon, MSC; and Eileen Currie, MSC renew their vows at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO.

Greeting guests for the Feast Day are from left: Sr. Bridget Zanin, MSC, Shrine Director; Fr. Ted Ploplis, Shrine Rector; Sr. Benigna Morais, MSC; Sr. Alfonsina Gomes, MSC and Sr. Joaquina Costa, MSC.

Celebrating at The Cottage at Cabrini University are: Seated: Gina Scarpello; Bobbi Jacquet; and Karol Brewer Standing: Lechia Taylor; Beth Moy; Sr. Christine Marie Baltas, MSC; Nancy Costello; Nancy Hutchison; and Sr. Grace Waters, MSC.