Dreams and Nightmares
by Liliana Velazquez, Montgomery County Community College
Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Bringing Christ's love to the world
Dreams and Nightmares
by Liliana Velazquez, Montgomery County Community College
It would certainly be an understatement to say that this year has been rough. So many of our [Cabrini Immigrant Services] Moms had to learn how to do on-line learning so their children could attend school. Now, the children are on hybrid schedules so our Moms are making sure the children are at the bus stop on time, get on their computers for on-line learning, etc. etc.
One Mom said, “It is nice to have a place to just breathe.” Kimberly Lara, a social work intern from Mercy College, leads the group. They talk about what is happening with their children, the concerns about COVID, school, etc.
This week, when they met, they painted a picture. Kimberly asked them to think about something that was important to them or something that gives them joy. Many spoke about the importance of family, having a home and also the beautiful views of the Fall foliage that we have in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
There was a lot of laughter while they were painting. In addition, they enjoyed some arroz con leche and fried plantains, made by one of our Moms. We are so happy to be able to offer them a place to come where they can relax, even if it is for a short time.
~ by J.D. Long-Garcia, AMERICA Magazine
Pope Francis called the Trump Administration policy of separating children at the border “cruelty of the highest form” in a new documentary that premiered in Rome today.
cruelty, and separating kids from parents goes against natural rights,” the Pope says in the documentary “Francesco”. It’s something a Christian cannot do. It’s cruelty of the highest form.”
Under the Trump administration, U.S. border enforcement officials began separating children from their parents as early s 2017, according to the Associated Press. The administration implemented a zero-tolerance policy in May 2018, leading to more than 2,700 children being separated from their parents in less than a month. That June, a U.S. district judge ordered an end to the practice. Yet, today, three years after being separated 545 children have still not been united with their parents,
according to court appointed lawyers.
“We know that the separation of children was a willful and calculated strategy to weaponize against vulnerable migrants at the border the most sacred thing they had – their family,” Dylan Corbett, the executive director of Hope Border Initiative, said in an email to America.
The revelation that years later we still have not been able to reunite hundreds of families points to the lasting and irreversible damage of this awful moment of moral darkness in our nation’s history,” he said. “We need to remember, to make amends and end the cruel strategies of deterrence against migrants in every form they take.”
Ashley Feasley, the Director of Migrant Policy and Public Affairs at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that while separations from children and parents happened on occasion under the Bush and Obama administration, the Trump administration policy is different. “This has been large scale and strategic and intentional,” she said.
The Trump administration also had no plan to reunite the children with their parents, and they have yet to establish a tracking system to keep track of children, Ms. Feasley said. She noted that Lutheran and Catholic agencies worked together to reunite 1,500 families in 2018. Yet, Ms. Feasley said, many of those families suffer ongoing mental health problems stemming from the traumatic separation experience.
“They knew they had no way to ensure that families could be reunited and moved forward anyway,” she said. “It was calculated to wreak havoc on families’ lives. And it did.”
To read the entire article click here
~ Mark Katkov, NPR News
Despite a federal judge’s order that the government reunite families who had been separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “no tolerance” migration policy, the parents of 545 children still can’t be found, according to a court document filed Tuesday by the U.S. Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Thousands of families were separated under the policy before the Trump administration ended the practice in 2018. The ACLU successfully sued the government, winning a court order to reunite families. Thousands of parents and children were reunited within weeks.
But about 1,000 families who had been separated in a pilot program in 2017 were not covered by the initial court order — reunification of this group was ordered only last year. The passage of time has made finding both parents and children more difficult.
“What has happened is horrific,” says Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, who has been leading the litigation. “Some of these children were just babies when they were separated. Some of these children may now have been separated for more than half their lives. Almost their whole life, they have not been with their parents.”
The update on reunification efforts was filed ahead of a status conference scheduled for Thursday before U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego.
The filing estimates that two-thirds of the separated parents are believed to have returned to their home countries. Nongovernmental groups appointed by the court have “engaged in time consuming and arduous on-the-ground searches for parents in their respective countries of origin,” according to the filing, but those efforts were halted by the coronavirus pandemic and are only now resuming in limited fashion.
NPR’s Joel Rose reports that the children initially went into a shelter system before being placed with sponsors across the country and that many will likely try to remain in the United States. The ACLU’s Gelernt says about 360 of the children still have not been located.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo marked Columbus Day by unveiling a statue of the Italian-American saint known as Mother Cabrini in lower Manhattan. Sr. Diane Olmstead, MSC and Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC assisted the governor in the unveiling.
The dedication of the statue on Monday comes a year after Cuomo announced that the state would commission a monument to the Roman Catholic nun who was canonized in 1946.
Cuomo attended the unveiling at a spot by the Hudson River with a view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo marked Columbus Day by unveiling a statue of the Italian-American saint known as Mother Cabrini in lower Manhattan.
The dedication of the statue on Monday comes a year after Cuomo announced that the state would commission a monument to the Roman Catholic nun who was canonized in 1946. That decision came after a commission led by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, omitted Mother Cabrini from a list of women who would be honored with statues, angering some Catholics.
“This year we unveil a magnificent monument to our Italian American legacy and that monument will stand for all time,” Cuomo told the Columbus Citizens Foundation in a video address Saturday.
Cuomo attended the unveiling at a spot by the Hudson River with a view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, as well as a “view of Mother Cabrini’s home borough of Brooklyn,” saying that the sculptors did a “wonderful” job.
“Today the lesson of Mother Cabrini is even more vital because of the difficulties we are facing,” Cuomo said at the unveiling. “We all know these are challenging times, but as we also know in the book of life it is not what one does when the sun is shining that tests…but it is what one does in the fury of the storm.”
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in 1850 in what is now the Lombardy region of Italy. She immigrated to the United States in 1889 and went on to found more than 60 schools, hospitals and orphanages. She died in 1917.
“Mother Cabrini only had two assets, but they were powerful assets,” Cuomo said. “She had her culture and she had her faith.”
Cuomo referenced Cabrini’s hard work and service to others at a time when there was rampant discrimination against Italians throughout the country.
“In this complex world, may this statue serve to remind us of the principals that made us great as a country and as a people and the principals that keep us special on this globe: the values of Mother Cabrini, compassion, acceptance, community, freedom, faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love,” Cuomo said Monday.
The sculpture depicts Cabrini with two children — a boy and girl — sailing on a paper boat. The girl is a reflection of Cabrini when she was young. She is holding a book in one hand, which symbolizes her commitment to education, while her other hand holds firmly onto the boat, signifying her steadfastness in the face of adversities. The boy depicted holds onto his luggage to face what the future will bring and holds on the other hand a wind instrument invented in Italy, which represents the culture immigrants have brought to America.
“Our goal was to create a statue that would represent the perseverance spirit of an extraordinary woman in realizing her childhood dream, the dream of helping people in need around the world,” said artist Jill Biagi, who alongside Giancarlo Biagi, sculpted the newly unveiled statue.
To view the unveiling and dedication ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxk3fBXpwxg&feature=youtu.be
To view further coverage on AM-NY: https://www.amny.com/news/mother-cabrini-statue-unveiled-in-battery-park-city-after-a-year-long-snub/
To read coverage in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/arts/design/mother-cabrini-statue-unveiling.html
To read coverage in Catholic New York: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/mother-cabrini-gets-a-new-statue-in-new-york-city-26311
Earlier this year, the Colorado Legislature passed Frances Xavier Cabrini House Bill 20-1031 into law, establishing Frances Cabrini Day as a Colorado State Holiday. The first paid state holiday in the nation that recognizes a woman, Cabrini Day will be observed in Colorado annually on the first Monday in October. (October 5, 2020)
Mother Cabrini dedicated her life to helping the poor, the sick, immigrants and those less fortunate. Her story is rich with determination, grit and an unshakable faith in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This day is about her story and we are eager for people to learn of it and be inspired by her life and all she accomplished.
To learn more: www.cabriniday.com
Earlier in September during a special Zoom event, Cardinal Cupich presented Sr. Cathy Fedewa, CSFN, Immigrant Outreach Coordinator at Cabrini Retreat Center, with the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Award. This award recognizes a leader in the Immigration Ministry’s network who embodies Mother Cabrini’s missionary and pastoral spirit in tireless service to immigrants.
A number of the Missionary Sisters attended the ceremony including Sr. Bernadette Anello, Sr. Antonina Avitabile, Sr. Ayantu Bishaka, Sr. Joaquina Costa, Sr. Catherine Garry, Sr. Genet Henok and Sr. Bridget Zanin.
Sr. Cathy’s spirit of Mother Cabrini goes beyond any doors and into the community making an everlasting impact on our immigrant sisters and brothers. She brings a wealth of experience and valuable insights as she serves individuals and families through active ministry in schools, parishes, and social agencies. As Coordinator of Immigrant Outreach and Advocacy at the Cabrini Retreat Center in Des Plaines, Illinois, she responds to the challenges immigrants face in new and creative ways.
She has visited and prayed with detained immigrants at the Broadview Detention Center and tutored a Chinese student through the Aquinas Literacy Center. Sr. Cathy serves on the Board of Bethany House of Hospitality for Women, which offers housing and support services to young immigrant women as they start the path for independence. (The Missionary Sisters also financially support Bethany House.)
Sr. Cathy provided leadership for the Chicagoland Share the Journey Walk partnering with the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Mother Cabrini League, St. Anthony Hospital and Maryville Academy.
In addition, Sister Cathy is a member of Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants (SBI) and the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants (ICDI), and has blessed Pastoral Migratoria with her many talents on the Immigration Ministry’s annual Posada and National Migration Week activities.
The Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) since 1914. It is always an occasion to express concern for different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for them as they face many challenges; and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.
Every year the WDMR is the last Sunday of September – this year, September 27th. As the title for his annual message, the Holy Father has chosen “Forced like Jesus Christ to flee” to focus on the pastoral care of internally displaced people (IDPs). The following are excerpts from the Pope Francis’ message:
At the beginning of this year, I pointed to the tragedy of internally displaced people as one of the challenges of our contemporary world: “Situations of conflict and humanitarian emergencies, aggravated by climate change, are increasing the number of displaced persons and affecting people already living in a state of dire poverty. May of the countries experiencing these situations lack adequate structures for meeting the needs of the displaced.”
For these reasons, this message is devoted to the drama of internally displaced persons, an often unseen tragedy that the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated. In fact, due to its virulence, severity and geographical extent, this crisis has impacted many other humanitarian emergencies that affect millions of people, which has relegated to the bottom of national political agendas those urgent international efforts essential to saving lives. But this is not a time for forgetfulness. In light of the tragic events that have marked 2020, I would like this message to [also] embrace all those who are experiencing situations of precariousness, abandonment, marginalization and rejection as a result of COVID-19.
During the flight into Egypt, the child Jesus experienced with his parents the tragic fate of the displaced and refugees, “which is marked by fear, uncertainty and unease. Unfortunately, in our own times, millions of families can identify with this sad reality. Almost every day [we hear] news of refugees fleeing from hunger, war and other grave dangers, in search of security and a dignified life for themselves and their families.” In each of these people, forced to flee to safety, Jesus is present as he was at the time of Herod.
We are called to respond to this pastoral challenge with the four verbs I indica ted in 2018: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. To these words, I would add another six pairs of verbs that deal with very practical actions. You have to know in order to understand. It is necessary to be close in order to serve. In order to be reconciled, we need to listen. In order to grow, it is necessary to share. We need to be involved in order to promote. It is necessary to cooperate in order to build.
This is not a time for self-centeredness, because the challenge we are facing is shared by all, without distinguishing between persons”. To preserve our common home and make it conform more and more to God’s original plan, we must commit ourselves to ensuring international cooperation, global solidarity and local commitment, leaving no one excluded.
To read Pope Francis’ full message click here
To access videos on the Migrant and Refugee crisis click here
~by David Agren, Catholic News Service
Matamoros, Mexico – When Sr. Norma Pimentel used to query the needs of asylum seekers in a tent camp along the Rio Grande in this Mexican border city, they asked for supplies such as utensils and blankets. Now when she speaks with them they voice fears for their safety and ask about an exit.
“We’re moving to a more desperate situation: ‘Get me out of here, I am afraid for my child,’” she said they tell her.
Residents of Dignity Village – populated by asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico as their cases proceed in US courts, part of the Migrant Protection Protocols plan – have endured everything from cold snaps to hurricanes, from rats and snakes to vermin infestation, and from criminal gangs to kidnapping them to the COVID-19 pandemic. But fear has gripped the camp in recent weeks as at least seven individuals have been found murdered in an area where camp residents used to wash and bathe.
“It’s hard to know (what’s happening) because the authorities are not saying and they’re not identifying the person(s)” said Sr. Pimentel, a member of the Missionaries of Jesus and Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. “It’s dangerous and everyone wants out.”
As time drags on, desperation sets in, especially as the temporary tents residents use become battered by the elements – Hurricane Hanna stormed through in August nearly flooding them out – and the COVID-19 pandemic postpones their US court appearance for the foreseeable future.
There’s nothing in sight that can really move them forward…They have endured months of hardship and COVID-19 doesn’t make it any easier,” said Pimentel.
The camp’s population has dwindled to less than 1,000 residents, roughly a third of its peak occupancy. Some of the camp’s residents are also attempting to cross the Rio Grande into the United States – a risky proposition. The river has deceptively strong currents and organized crime demands a payment to attempt the crossing.
Pimentel often deals with Mexican immigration officials, taking requests from residents to them for consideration. She also listens to petitions, such as the pleas of a group of pregnant women, who were wondering if US officials would expedite their hearings. For all the desperation, she said, many have not given up hope on reaching the United States for one simple reason: “They can’t return to their countries.”
When the United States began its most stringent COVID-19 lockdown in mid-March, America’s food supply workers – from grocery store clerks to farmworkers quickly became some of the country’s most essential laborers.
Cabrini University alumna Meghan Hurley ’07, who has served at CATA – The Farmworkers Support Committee in southern New Jersey since 2012, farmworkers were essential personnel long before COVID-19 gripped the globe. Of her work helping mobilize farmworkers in the CATA network to advocate for improved labor conditions before legislators in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., she said, “What we are seeing is not new, but just refocused.”
Hurley said that labor legislation has often excluded farmworkers, who are largely people of color and immigrants – including permanent residents and workers on temporary work visas or without documentation. This Cabrini alumna is advocating for at least six pieces of legislation in New Jersey that would provide some economic relief for undocumented immigrants and expand labor protections for farmworkers and many other essential workers, including increased sick days and the right to refuse work in unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation or termination.
“Right now, we are focused on the immediate needs of Latino working communities and pushing for better protections,” Hurley said.
“We call these workers essential but treat them as though they are expendable,” she said.
Hurley credits much of her passion for immigrant advocacy work to the experiences she had as a Cabrini undergraduate studying English and Communication. She said Jerry Zurek, PhD, Professor, English and Communications, had a particularly profound impact, helping Hurley foster a passion for social justice and advocacy. Need another photo
“Meghan’s work now for immigrant farmworkers should touch our conscience,” Zurek said. “These farmworkers don’t earn minimum wage and, if undocumented, haven’t received a penny in COVID-19 protection and relief. What Meghan does now is what Mother Cabrini would do if she were here today.”