We pray for our immigrant community

I have been pastor of three parishes in our Diocese: The Parish of the Holy Cross in Bridgeton, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Lindenwold, and now Sacred Heart Parish in Camden.

In those assignments, I have had the privilege of working with and ministering to the immigrant community, many of which come from several different cultures. I am a better priest because of this experience. Their faith, work ethic, love of family, love of Church – and yes, their love of our country – is inspiring. I am saddened now that many of our parishioners and friends live in fear because of reports of raids and increased immigration enforcement. Many in my community who have lived here for years and work and pay taxes fear they will now be deported and separated from their children. 

I am proud to be from a law enforcement family. My dad, brothers, uncles and cousins have served as federal and local police officers. I understand our nation’s obligation to protect citizens from violent crime and to stem the flow of drugs, reduce gang activity and end human trafficking. However, as our U.S. bishops recently stated: “Enforcement efforts should be targeted, proportional, and humane.” (USCCB, January 2025) 

I vividly remember sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen, listening to her stories of the poverty she endured as a child in County Derry in the north of Ireland. As a Catholic there, she came on a boat to America for the same reason my immigrant parishioners come to our country: safety from oppression, economic opportunity, freedom of religion and a brighter future for their children. My friends of Italian, Polish, German and Eastern European descent tell similar stories. 

Prior to my ordination to the priesthood in 2012, I practiced law and was proud to lead the Camden Center for Law and Social Justice, a nonprofit law firm that specializes in immigration law. For many years, immigration advocates have been yearning for a change in our nation’s broken immigration system. This past January, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops outlined reasonable elements of immigration reform that align with Catholic social justice principals. The elements outlined by the U.S. bishops are: (1) Enforcement should be targeted, proportional, and humane; (2) Humanitarian protections and due process should be ensured; (3) Long-term residents should have an earned pathway to citizenship; (4) Family unity should remain a cornerstone of the U.S. system; (5) Legal pathways should be expanded, reliable and efficient; (6) The root causes of forces migration should be addressed. 

The Catholic Church has historically held a strong interest in immigration and how public policy affects immigrants seeking a new life in the United States. Based on scriptural and Catholic social teachings, as well as her own experience as an immigrant Church in the United States, the Catholic Church is compelled to raise her voice on behalf of those who are marginalized and whose God-given rights are not respected.

The Church believes that current immigration laws and policies have often led to the undermining of immigrants’ human dignity and have kept families apart. The existing immigration system has resulted in a growing number of people in this country in an unauthorized capacity, living in the shadows as they toil in jobs that would otherwise go unfilled. Close family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents must wait years for a visa to be reunited. The Church has a responsibility to shine the message of God on this issue and help to build bridges between all parties so that an immigration system can be created that is just for all and serves the common good, including the legitimate security concerns of our nation. 

Please pray for members of our community who fear they may be targets of unjust enforcement. Pray also for a comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that safeguards our country and respects the dignity of migrants and refugees, and provides a pathway to legal status and eventual citizenship for children and long-time residents. 

Father Vincent Guest is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Camden, and coordinator of the Black Catholic Ministry Commission.