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Diocesan convocation on immigrants calls people to prayer, action

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

A day long convocation on immigration July 15 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Belleville drew almost 75 people from across the diocese to listen, to learn and to be called to act on the part of immigrants in our parishes and communities.

This, the fifth year of the convocation, focused on “Immigrants Among Us.”

To enlighten participants — both English and Spanish speaking — about the history of immigration in this country, Sister Cecilia Hellmann, ASC and director of the Office of Hispanic Ministry, gave the group a short history lesson.
She detailed the influx of immigrants dating back to the earliest settlers in the 1600s since this country is a nation built by many different people coming from a host of different nations.

A number of immigrants told their stories, some documented, some not documented.

Sister Hang Pham, ASC, an immigrant from Vietnam, described the difficulties of someone coming to this country without being able to speak the language.

“The most challenging culture shock was the language,” Sister Hang said. “It took four years to adjust to the culture.”
While everyone hears this is a land of opportunity, new immigrants can feel isolated because they can’t speak to anyone.

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, immigration became much more difficult; walls were erected and border controls were tightened.

Those coming to this country illegally generally come because they have few or no economic opportunities in their own countries.

Sister Cecilia quoted statistics about present-day immigrants. About 60 percent of immigrants coming to this country now come from Latin America, she said.

Not only feeling isolated because of the language barriers, the undocumented immigrants live in fear of being families are separated when parents are sent to jail until they are deported.

If their children are born in the United States and are U.S. citizens, they are not deported, and to reunite the families, parents must arrange for children to travel to the parents’ country of origin.

The Catholic church, specifically the U.S. bishops have stood firmly behind immigrants, calling for legislation that will not only protect the rights of citizens but they also point out the rights of all people “to migrate to support themselves and their families,” that “refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection,” and “the human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected.”

A number of immigrants told their stories at the convocation to an audience riveted to its seats.

The stories carried a sadness because families could find no legal means to come into the country, and they continue to suffer consequences.

In hosting the convocation, the Office of Hispanic Ministry wanted to do more than call attention to the plight of the undocumented.

Everyone’s goal is to raise awareness about the problems, to reform immigration law and find solutions to the multi-faceted problems the present situation causes.

For more information, please contact the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry at 235-9601, ext. 129.