Sinsinawa
Spectrum
A Congregation News Magazine
Sisters Attend Meetings on Immigration Reform
by Teresa Auad, OP
Sr. Tere Auad
Sr. Chris Fegan
Chris Feagan, OP, and Teresa Auad, OP, attended a regional meeting for Justice for Immigrants (JFI) and the 12th annual meeting of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) in Colorado Springs during May. These two organizations are sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
At the meetings we learned that on June 8, President Barack Obama planned to meet with a small group of lawmakers representing both Democratic and Republican parties at the White House in the first of a series of policy talks on immigration. The aim, according to an administration official, is “to have an honest discussion of the issues, identify areas of agreement and areas where we still have work to do . . . with the hope of beginning the debate in earnest later this year.”
Participants at the Colorado meeting brainstormed ways to make visible the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Ideas included holding prayer vigils and offering prayer petitions on Sunday, June 7, as a way to bear witness as a Church community. To that end, we asked tri-state parishes to include a petition during prayer, insert a bulletin announcement, and/or hold a prayer vigil to pray for our nation’s leaders as they meet to discuss the issue of immigration and that God guide these deliberations.
For information on the Catholic Church’s position on immigration, visit www.justiceforimmigrants.org on the Internet.