Bishop: To welcome immigrants is to follow God’s ‘divine command’ to care for the stranger

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (OSV News) — Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski said the Catholic Church’s call to stand in solidarity with migrant communities and a moral urgency compelled the Diocese of Providence to host a regional gathering on immigration at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The diocese, in partnership with the Hope Border Institute, which is based in El Paso, Texas, and the Center for Migration Studies in New York City, hosted a convening titled “Witness to Hope: Responding to Mass Deportations.”

It drew faith leaders, diocesan staff, migrant advocates and community leaders from across New England, and from as far as New York and New Jersey.

“In church and in public discourse there needs to be a shift in focus from politics to the divine command,” the Providence bishop said, referencing the scriptural call to care for the alien and the stranger (Leviticus 19:33-34).

“Immigration isn’t politics — it’s part of our DNA as people of faith. God commands us to welcome the immigrant, to love the foreigner. Too easily, we give in to our worst fears, basest instincts and evil inclinations. Some of our most anti-immigrant voices are in our own church,” the former Baltimore auxiliary bishop told the Dec. 11 gathering.

The daylong event included panels and strategy sessions addressing Catholic teaching on immigration, the current policy landscape, and strategies for responding to mass deportations, including guidance on sensitive locations, communications and accompaniment of affected families.

The convening was co-sponsored by Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., the Catholic Health Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Bishop Lewandowski spoke about the mixed reaction he received to his recent column in Rhode Island Catholic, the diocesan news outlet, that was about Walter, an immigrant and personal friend of his from Guatemala, who was a very faithful member — one who even founded a Knights of Columbus chapter — in one of his parishes when he served in Baltimore.

Walter was plucked off the street one day by immigration officials and returned to his home country, leaving his wife and children behind in the U.S. “to fend for themselves.”

“I got a handful of letters of support, but an avalanche of letters from people saying, ‘Who do you think you are? These people are criminals, rapists, terrorists and murderers. Why do you want them here?’ So, in our own house, in our Catholic Church, we have a lot of work to do,” Bishop Lewandowski said, of those views held by many faithful of how all immigrants coming into the country are perceived.

He noted that none of the people he’s ever known who have been detained and deported were criminals. “All they did was cross the border, like Abraham, like Moses, like Sarah, like Jacob, like Jesus, Mary and Joseph.”

God’s word offers the alternative to enforcement, detention and deportation, he said.

“Welcoming the stranger is a moral imperative — our salvation depends on it,” he said. “We must counter fear with our faith, with a concerted collective effort to get the Word out there. … Not enough Catholics are standing up to make a difference. Families are being destabilized: Moms and dads, husbands and wives are being plucked out of our communities.”

The gathering took place as part of a national initiative developed by the Hope Border Institute and the Center for Migration Studies, or CMS, to assist the Catholic Church in organizing a robust response on behalf of migrants and refugees living in fear of immediate deportation.

While they indicate that immigrants of various statuses have been impacted this year by the current administration’s policies and enforcement efforts, the most vulnerable population is the nearly half-a-million (473,000) New Englanders who do not have documents, with 41,500 in Rhode Island specifically, according to CMS estimates.

Immigrant workers in the country without authorization hold key roles in New England’s industries, including construction (16 percent of that workforce), health care and social assistance (10.1 percent) and manufacturing (9.5 percent) industries.

“At a moment when inhumane mass deportation policies are tearing at the very fabric of our society, our collective response must be grounded in facts and a clear understanding of how harsh policies are hurting immigrant families,” said Rosalie Wells, CMS communications manager.

“By grounding the conversation in data, policy analysis and case studies of community-led response initiatives, CMS, Hope Border Institute and our partners are equipping the local Catholic community to effectively tackle misinformation and step up to defend our migrant brothers and sisters,” Wells said. “We are called not only to compassion but to informed and coordinated action in defense of human dignity.”

Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, expressed his gratitude to Bishop Lewandowski and the Diocese of Providence for making the inaugural convening possible.

“This gathering reflects the urgency felt within the Catholic Church to respond to the injustice of mass deportation with effective solidarity with our immigrant sisters and brothers and to work together for humane and fair immigration solutions,” Corbett said. “The Hope Border Institute and the Center for Migration Studies are committed to advancing this critical work with dioceses and faith communities across the country.”

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