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immigration reform a priority for the church

Story and photo by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

The Adorers of the Blood of Christ stand firmly behind comprehensive immigration reform, according to Sister Cecilia Hellmann, ASC and director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry.

She, her staff and Sister Jan Renz, ASC regional leader, handed U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill. postcards addressed to him Feb. 16 at his Belleville office.

“The Church’s role is to stand with the people,” Sister Cecilia said. “Reform of the immigration law is so needed; we can’t be pastoral until people have something to eat and some place to live.”

The postcard campaign originated with the U.S. bishops’ effort to advocate for immigration reform.
Sisters and parishes are participating until the end of March.

The group sat down with Costello and agreed that immigration issues are complicated, and a number of myths are promoted as realities.

The ASCs have addressed some of those myths on their web site: www.adorers.org under “Standing With Immigrants,” Sister Jan said.

Statistics about undocumented workers taking jobs from American workers, using health care and not paying taxes are among some of the myths.

Costello agreed with the sisters about the need for reform.

“After health care, the next major item should be immigration reform,” Costello said, adding “it will be difficult to get anything out of the Senate this year because they’re so polarized.”

Sister Jan told the congressman that the day of their visit marked the 140th anniversary that Adorers came to the United States as immigrants.

“Immigration reform is an important issue for us,” she said.

“Ours is an immigrant country,” Sister Cecilia said and is what it is today because of the immigrants who came here.
Costello added: “We need to figure out a system that stops people from entering the United States illegally but provides a process to bring them in legally.”