On September 27, the Church will celebrate the 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR). Since 1914, the Church has used this day as a way to “express concern for the different vulnerable people on the move, to pray for them as they face many challenges, and to increate awareness about the opportunities that[continue reading]
Migration
Migration Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has produced what I call a ‘migrating experience.’ Some of us have had to move our workspaces to our home spaces and create a job atmosphere. From a psychological perspective, it’s not very healthy to bring work home; but in this case, work is home. Since the end of March, Diocesan Migrant[continue reading]
One Year After
We recently reached the one year anniversary of the “Remain in Mexico” ruling. It was the one year anniversary of the U.S. sending families into Mexican cities that the U.S. State Department says are too dangerous to enter. Today, I was at a shelter in Nuevo Laredo. There were many people getting their asylum applications ready[continue reading]
Trapped in No-Man’s Land
For Central American asylum seekers traveling to the U.S., danger grows greater with each passing mile. Now, their walk of thousands of miles ends with an arrival in a no-man’s land. This area is run by no one…except, perhaps, the cartel. This place is Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. A border town that offers no future and[continue reading]
National Migration Week 2020
January 5-11, 2020 is National Migration Week. This year, the theme is “Promoting a Church and a World for All.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has prepared a toolkit for use throughout the week. (It can still be used throughout the month, too!) It contains migration talking points, sample letters to the editor,[continue reading]