Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Ice Should Allow Pastoral Workers to Bring Communion to Detainees

November 6, 2025

In remarks made on November 4th, Pope Leo XIV told reporters that he “would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs” of detained migrants.

recent days in the Chicago area, specifically, at the Broadview Processing Center, for the second time in three weeks, ICE agents barred a group of clergy, religious sisters, and lay people from entering the facility to offer Holy Communion to migrants being detained there.

To read more about Pope Leo’s remarks please click here

Cabrini U. Unites with One Church, One Family

October 23, 2025

~ a reflection by Jerry Zurek, PhD, former Chair, Communications Department, Cabrini University

Cabrini University alumni and friends joined 100-plus faithful in raising their voices in song and prayer in front of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Philadelphia field office

This public witness was a part of the nationwide Catholic campaign to call people of faith to publicly demonstrate solidarity with migrant families, asylum seekers, and refugees. The campaign is called One Church, One Family. Information may be found at 1family.us.

The speakers reflected the spirit of Pope Leo’s recent message on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees: “Migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes.”

“We reject the culture of fear that dehumanizes,” said Sr. Michelle Cimaroli, of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

A second day of prayer is planned for Nov. 13, timed to coincide with the feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

Personally, I was inspired by the many women religious present. As I mingled with everyone, each person spoke from their rich lives, often of decades of service. One, an IHM Sister from Peru, spoke of how the image of the United States has changed for many in other countries.

I hope that public events like this reveal the true spirit of many Americans and Catholics who understand that we truly are one family and must care for those seeking hope as best we can. Participating in a prayer vigil or a public action gives me greater courage to stand up for what we believe.

Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home

October 22, 2025

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From October 1 to 3, Villanova University, through the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, and the Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home project, held three days of conferences and working groups at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome, with the aim of “shaping the first drafts of action plans that will guide our collective response to migration in higher education and beyond.”

The invitation came from attorney Michele Pistone of Villanova University, which enabled Javier Ramirez Baron, Executive Director, Sister Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC, and Sister Yolanda Flores, MSC of Cabrini Immigrant Services – New York City (CIS_NYC) to participate, along with our Superior General, Sister Eliane Azevedo da Silva, MSC; General Councilor Sister Patricia Godoy, MSC, Sister Joseane Cabral, MSC and Sister Tatiana Avdokushina, MSC.

An integral part of the program was an audience with Pope Leo XIV, who encouraged us to strive to seek new ideas and forms of service “by placing the dignity of each person at the center of any solution.” When we encounter difficulties, he said, we should not fall into the trap of “globalization of indifference,” but rather nurture a “culture of reconciliation.” The Pope, recognizing that this work is not easy, encouraged us to formulate action plans without forgetting that “it is also important to remember that migrants and refugees can be privileged witnesses of hope through their resilience and trust in God.”

During the conference, Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz created a sculpture of Frances X. Cabrini, incorporating figures of migrants considered—in his own words – “angels unawares.” His work reflects what we can offer through our service, hope, and support for each person we serve. This piece of art was blessed on the last day by Fr. Joseph Farrell, OSA, the Prior General of the Augustinian Friars, in the presence of all the participants.

On the 4th and 5th, we actively participated in the Jubilee of Migrants and the Mission.

On the 6th, a group of MSCs, along with a lay person, Javier Ramirez, held a meeting to evaluate our participation in the jubilee and share our different types of services related to migration. This was an opportunity to present to the General Council a proposal to organize a small committee of sisters and lay people (two to three people) to help us find resources, creative ways, and support for the work we do on behalf of migrants and refugees. It can be a small drop into a huge ocean of needs, but a helpful drop maybe needed to complete the ocean.

At Washington Conference, Attorneys Address an Unsettling New Era on Immigration

October 16, 2025

At Washington Conference, Attorneys Address an Unsettling New Era on Immigration
~ by Rhina Guidos for National Catholic Reporter/Global Sisters Report
Reprinted with permission from Global Sisters Report

“We gather today in unprecedented times,” Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., told the crowd. Her organization, known as CLINIC, along with the Migration Policy Institute and Georgetown Law organized the 22nd Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference. That’s where immigration attorneys, paralegals, community advocates, as well as some priests and least one Franciscan sister, gathered on October 9 to hear a range of legal experts, historians and journalists speak. Panelists painted a picture of migrants consumed by fear and a legal community seeking to defend them, but lacking the resources to do so.

Conferences of the past provided a legal bird’s-eye view of policy in the country’s immigration realm, but scholars and experts like Doris Meissner agreed that this year, it’s different.

“We have entered a new era,” said Meissner, senior fellow and director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at Migration Policy Institute, as she moderated one of the panels.

No one exactly knows how this era will evolve.From the president’s public call to end birthright citizenship for children whose parents aren’t in the country legally, using information from the Internal Revenue Service to seek out migrants for deportation, and employing military and other law enforcement resources in that effort — those actions raise “profound questions about our society,” Meissner added.

A lawyer at the conference addressed the obstacles the government is putting in place to make it difficult for attorneys to contact their clients. An economist voiced worries about the impact of ICE raids at work and said the actions are at odds with economic strategy. A reporter said he had seen the negative impact of immigration enforcement on communities of faith.Immigration, after all, said CLINIC’s Gallagher, touches “every aspect of our country.”

New Mural Dedicated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral

September 25, 2025

The mural, created by Adam Cvijanovic, pays tribute to generations of immigrants who came to New York in search of faith and hope. It is the first major work of art commissioned for the Cathedral since the installation of its bronze doors in 1949. The mural prominently features Mother Cabrini among the immigrants. To watch a video from the Good News Room about the creation and dedication of the mural please click here

CIS-NYC Staff Attends Center for Migration Studies Conference

September 24, 2025

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Last week, members of our CIS-NYC team attended the Center for Migration Studies Conference on Immigration Integration. On Sunday, we were honored to welcome a group of conference participants to our office. Visitors toured the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine, joined us for a presentation on our work, and participated in a thoughtful Q&A.

Attendees came from across the country, including as far away as Seattle, Washington. It was an opportunity to connect in a small group, share strategies, and discuss how to move forward together in support of immigrant communities.

On Monday and Tuesday, we joined the rest of the conference at Fordham University, where we listened to compelling panels on immigration, integration, and Catholic teachings, and engaged in regional discussions. Especially in times like these, knowing we are unified in our work and faith brings hope for a way forward where everyone in this country can live with dignity, care, and respect.

This is National Migration Week 2025

September 24, 2025

For 45 years, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week (NMW). This is an opportunity to reflect on our history as an immigrant Church and the ways in which our country has been enriched by generations of immigrants, including the many Catholics who have adopted this land as their own. It is also an occasion to grow in appreciation of the challenges faced by migrants and refugees, both in the United States and beyond, and to express solidarity through prayer, accompaniment, and advocacy. Pope Francis had chosen “Migrants, missionaries of hope” for this year’s theme.

This year, National Migration Week takes place September 22-28 and culminates with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR). Although WDMR typically occurs on the last Sunday of September, this year it will take place on October 4-5 to coincide with the Jubilee of Migrants. The primary theme for this year’s WDMR is “Migrants, missionaries of hope,” which “highlights the courage and tenacity of migrants and refugees, who bear witness daily to hope for the future despite difficulties.”

In solidarity with the Holy Father, National Migration Week is using the same theme as WDMR and emphasizes the ways in which this theme and its application to the migration question is important for the Church in the United States. Given the timing of WDMR this year, we have developed resource for the Jubilee of Migrants, “Pilgrims on the Way of Hope”, which will help people to prepare both for the Jubilee and WDMR.

One concrete way to participate in this year’s NMW is by signing The Cabrini Pledge that appears on the USCCB website:

The Cabrini Pledge

The Cabrini Pledge on the USCCB website is both a reminder of our immigrant heritage and a call to deeper engagement with our faith in response to current events. At a time when our culture is dominated by deep political divisions and reasonable disagreements about immigration policy, progress can feel impossible. But by witnessing to the God-given dignity of every person, including the migrants and refugees in our midst, we pave the way for an approach rooted in mercy, justice, and the common good. And together, like Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, we can be keepers of hope. To take the pledge online, please click here

I PLEDGE:
• To affirm, in word and deed, the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of immigration status or country of origin, seeing each as a child of God before all else.

• To engage with Scripture and the Church’s social teaching, reflecting on the role of migration in salvation history, the history of the United States, and the history of my own family.

• To listen and learn about the circums tances facing migrants and refugees, including those in my community, with an open heart and mind.

• To seek opportunities for encounter, so as to grow in deeper understanding and communion that leads to an authentic solidarity with those in need.

• To consider what it means to be a good neighbor and how I am called to reflect the love and hope of Christ to others.

• To encourage civic dialogue that places the human person and the sanctity of families at the center of policymaking, especially toward the end of meaningful immigration reform.

• To join with Pope Leo in praying for all migrants and refugees as fellow travelers on the journey to our true homeland.
• © 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops -reprinted with permission of the USCCB

Cabrini University Alums Learn Stark Reality Facing Many Immigrants

June 19, 2025

What would you do if you were undocumented now? What would you do if you were a mother of two children, one of them one month old, and your husband is detained and sent to a detention center? You had been seeking asylum because of threats of violence in your home country and when you go to your immigration check-in and are told that your asylum petition has been denied and you have exactly one month to come back with tickets to return to the danger in your home country. Your husband is definitely being deported. Should you pay $10,000 to appeal? What should you do with your children who are US citizens?

These are the kind of decisions that thousands of immigrants must make every day as Homeland Security is going after many people who have lived and worked in the US for many years in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, but are undocumented or on Temporary Protected Status or seeking asylum or on a particular visa that is revoked.
Two Cabrini University graduates, who have spent much of their careers working with communities of immigrants, shared stories of the anxiety and fear and stress that these communities face every day.

Cabrini University alumni and friends meet each month to learn about and discuss social justice issues. The June meeting was led by Robin Larkins, Class of 1985, and Meghan Hurley, Class of 2007.

Robin has had a long career with various Cabrini ministries and is currently the co-founder and executive director of Spring Community Partners in Dobbs Ferry, NY – a suburban community just north of New York City. The organization particularly focuses on serving the growing local immigrant community and assisting parents in navigating the complex systems to help their families succeed and to advocate for their children.

Meghan works for CATA, the Farmworker Support Committee in South Jersey and southern Chester County. She is currently the Policy and Advocacy Organizer. She also served as a volunteer after college with the Holy Child Sisters in Peru.

Following the discussion, the 50 alumni participants wrote or called their U.S. Senators who are now debating the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This budget reconciliation bill will increase funding for immigration enforcement from the current $34 billion to a proposed $200 billion. Funding would come from many sources, but especially by cutting social services such as many funded by Medicaid and SNAP.

If you are interested in learning about future discussions, please let the Cabrini University CAVS Mission and Service Committee know by adding your name here: https://bit.ly/cavs-ambassadors.

Shhhhhh…Don’t Tell Anyone…No Le Digas a Nadie

May 15, 2025

Shhhhhh…Don’t Tell Anyone…No Le Digas a Nadie

On Friday, May 9th, the Cabrini Immigration Commission, presented the documentary, ‘Don’t Tell Anyone/No Le Digas A Nadie’ at Cabrini Immigrant Services-Dobbs Ferry, NY. Karol Brewer, from the Cabrini Action & Advocacy Coalition, the Province Formation Office, and a member of the Commission, joined us for the movie.
CIS-DF invited their adult tutors and volunteers to view the movie. The movie is about Angy Rivera, who came to the USA at the age of 4 with her mother. She lived with a secret; she was undocumented. The very moving documentary follows Angy’s life for 3 years. It takes us through the process of her applying for a U-Visa. In time, she became an activist for undocumented youth, created an advice blog, Ask Angy and a YouTube channel.

After the documentary, Angy Rivera joined us via zoom. We were able to ask her so many questions and express our deep admiration for all that she has and continues to do for immigrants.

Advocating for Immigrants

May 15, 2025

Yesterday, Justice for Immigrants (JFI) joined the New York for All and Dignity Not Detention coalitions in Albany for the Stop the Complicity! All Hands for Immigrant Justice action. Together with immigrant leaders, advocates, and allies from across the state, we called on our elected officials to end New York’s complicity with ICE and take action to protect our communities.

We are witnessing unprecedented attacks on immigrant communities: from the handcuffing of children in Sackets Harbor to the disappearance of New Yorkers to CECOT in El Salvador, and the detention of people, both citizens and non-citizens, without due process.

That’s why we’re demanding the passage of two bills this legislative session:
• New York for All Act (S2235/A3506) – to stop local and state agencies from collaborating with ICE.
• Dignity Not Detention Act (S316/A4181) – to end ICE detention expansion in New York and ban private detention centers altogether.

We were proud to stand alongside community members and elected officials, many of whom wore a handmade cape bearing the NY4All message around the Capitol and during the press conference. Because art is resistance, too.