1,500 JOIN FAITH LEADERS IN PRAYERS, PROCESSION FOR IMMIGRANTS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego on Facebook

February 11, 2025 (San Diego, CA) – Multiple faith leaders and a crowd of around 1,500 people overflowed the St. Joseph Cathedral and then held a procession to the federal building downtown and prayers in support of undocumented immigrants, chanting “our neighbors, our coworkers, our brothers and sisters,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego posted on Facebook.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, whom the Pope has appointed Archbishop of Washington D.C., spoke at the event, as did Episcopalian Bishop Susan Brown Snook and other faith leaders.

“Just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph had to flee oppression to another land when they were on this Earth," Cardinal McElroy said, “So too we must stand with those who are immigrants here in our midst now and make sure that their safety is secure, and that humanity is respected.”

The Cardinal acknowledged that countries have a right to control their borders, but said such actions should be done humanely. “This undifferentiated war of fear on our undocumented population is unacceptable and certainly contrary to Catholic faith,” he stated.

We can either move forward with a focused effort to secure the border in a way that is humane and respected of human rights,” the Cardinal added, “or else we're going to embark upon, and are beginning to embark upon, a crusade which will end up breaking up families, causing untold suffering among our people.”

Bishop Snook from the Episcopalian Diocese of San Diego urged those present to “remember what God has called us to do, which is to love our neighbors and exercise compassion on those who suffer and are vulnerable.

She added, “People are afraid to go to school or to go to food pantries or to go to church and exercise their freedom of religion,” 10 News reports.

Young people also spoke out on the sacrifices made by their immigrant parents to build a new life in the U.S., calling for immigrants to be treated with dignity and compassion, the Roman Catholic Diocese posted on Facebook.

Resources and rights of immigrants

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is working to provide information for immigrants and their families in the wake of mass deportations and harsh immigration policies imposed by President Donald Trump.

Catholic Charities is launching a webpage to provide “reliable information, such as the rights of immigrants, how to find a relative if he or she has been detained, and what legal documents may be needed, like power of attorney. Resources and training also will be available to parishes,” the diocese posted.

Click on these links to view resources including rights for immigrants:

emergencysafetyplan.org (English)

plandeemergencia.org  (Spanish)

Prayer of the Migrant

To travel to You, Lord, is to live,

To leave is to die a little,

Arriving is never arriving definitively until it rests in You.

Thou, Lord, knew the migration,

And thou hast made it present to every man who understands what it is to live,

And he wants to arrive safely at the harbor of life.

Thou brought Abraham out of his land,

father of all believers.

You remembered what were the ways to get to You,

By the prophets and apostles.

Thou hast made thyself a Migrant from heaven to earth,

In the womb of your mother you conceived,

In your hasty escape to Egypt,

by the way sowing, the Gospel,

multiplying the bread, healing the sick,

And returning to the Father in your ascension.

Grant us steadfast faith, confident and joyful hope,

Burning and generous charity,

to emigrate with peace in the soul

And get to You every day and the last day.

Amen.

The above prayer was offered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of  San Diego.