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.”

DC Archbishop, Sisters Denounce Assault of Migrants

October 2, 2025

~ by Rhina Guidos, Global Sisters Report

Cardinal Robert McElroy wasted no time pointing out that this year’s World Day for Migrants and Refugees is not like the others — at least not in the U.S.

“For this year we are confronting — both as a nation and as a church — an unprecedented assault upon millions of immigrant men and women and families in our midst,” McElroy said during a Sept. 28 homily at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, as the archdiocese in the nation’s capital observed the church event that celebrates, on Oct. 4-5 this year, the resilience of displaced people around the world.

Though McElroy has been steadily defending migrants, the archbishop of Washington on Sunday focused on the government’s actions that kept many in his flock from attending the event, following reports of catechists and ministers detained on their way to Sunday Mass and other church activities.

No one argues that removing those convicted of serious crimes is a legitimate national goal, McElroy said, but the way he sees it, what the administration is doing in Washington and the rest of the country has a different goal.

During a procession — from Washington’s predominantly immigrant Shrine of the Sacred Heart to Mass at the cathedral that hosts Masses for government officials and workers — women religious and priests shared anecdotes about massive drops in church attendance, parishioners detained and others afraid of leaving their homes.

Holy Cross Sister Ruth Nickerson said she took part in the procession to “support the migrants and refugees, especially those who are being disappeared in our own city here in D.C. We’re hoping that the prayer and coming together will help people to understand that this is really about human rights for everyone.”

To read the entire account, please click here
~ article by Rhina Guidos reprinted with permission from Global Sisters Report

Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home’ Conference

October 2, 2025

From October 1–3, 2025, just before the Jubilee for Migrants (October 4–5), a ‘Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home,’ conference is being held in Rome. This will be the first in-person gathering of a three-year initiative uniting higher education institutions, NGOs, and community partners to address the urgent realities of migration and displacement.

Michele Pistone, is the law professor at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, and founding faculty director of Villanova’s just-launched Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration.

The Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration will be based on the Villanova University CABRINI Campus, the site of the former Cabrini University in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Attending the conference in Rome are several Missionary Sisters.

World Day for Migrants and Refugees

October 1, 2025

The World Day of Migrants and Refugees is a Catholic Church event established in 1914 to bring attention to the challenges of migration, raise awareness about the opportunities migration offers, and encourage prayer and action for migrants and refugees worldwide.

To read a message from Pope Leo XIV on the World Day for Migrants and Refugees 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

The 22nd Annual Migrant Trail Walk

June 18, 2025

Embracing the spirit of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, Ivonne Moreno-Rodriguez, Social Work Supervisor from Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC (CIS-NYC), joined the 22nd Annual Migrant Trail Walk that ended on June 1st. Ivonne and 43 humanitarian workers completed the 75-mile, seven-day pilgrimage from Sasabe, Mexico to Tucson Arizona to honor the over 8,000 migrants who have died at the border since the 1990s, to denounce decades of inhumane border polices, and this year with the current administration, to oppose the weaponization of the immigration laws.

With temperatures up to 100 degrees during the day, the group walked through the Sonora Desert carrying crosses, some bearing the names of migrants who died in the desert and others bearing the word “desconocido/a” — Spanish for “unknown”. Ivonne carried the crosses of two migrants that were found in 2009 and were not identified. For her, “It was such a humbling experience because I was thinking about the dreams that these migrants had coming to the US, their horrible death, and the pain of their families that are probably still looking for them.”

Every few miles during the walk, an organizer would conduct a roll call. Each walker would read the name of the person in their cross and when a name was called out, the group would respond with a loud “present” symbolizing that these deaths are not forgotten. The group also carried the indigenous prayer ties with 154 satchels containing tobacco that represents each of the remains found in the Arizona desert since June 2024 (according to figures from Humane Borders).

As part of a community of faith and having Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini as the Patron Saint of Immigrants, Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC deepens its
commitment to migrants in the NYC area and continues opposing the inhumane immigration “deterrence” polices that intentionally divert migrants fleeing violence and uncertainty in their countries into the most remote and deadly terrain.