Photo by James A. McBride
Left photo: Bishop Joseph A. Galante holds letters that will be sent to Washington, as clergy of different denominations raise their hands in a blessing at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral, Camden, during a prayer rally for comprehensive immigration reform. It was held Saturday, May 1, the first day of a weekend of prayer for immigrants.
CAMDEN — Bishop Joseph A. Galante led other faith leaders in an ecumenical prayer rally May 1 to seek the comprehensive reform of the immigration system in this country.
Praying with the bishop were Rev. G. Kent Walmsley, pastor of Hope Memorial Baptist Church; Father Joel Arciga-Camarillo, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral; and Rev. John O. Parker, pastor of Antioch Baptist, along with congregations associated with Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
The Saturday prayer rally was the first day of a weekend of prayer for immigrants. Bishop Galante urged Catholics throughout the Diocese of Camden to pray on Sunday for immigrants and political leaders working to reform the immigration system. (The text of Bishop Galante’s talk, “Every person is a neighbor” was printed in the April 30 Catholic Star Herald and can be found on the diocesan website at www.camdendiocese.org.)
Larry DiPaul, director of the Office of Social Justice Ministry of the Camden Diocese, said the focus was on the undocumented immigrants, some 12 million of them in this country, “who want to become citizens but find the road confusing, dangerous, and sometimes scary.”
He said the bishop was asking God “to give us wisdom to see the undocumented immigrants as God sees them. Every single one is made in his image and likeness and the bishop was calling for everybody to live as sisters and brothers.” He was asking people to have the wisdom to see others through the eyes of God.
Immigrants spoke during the prayer rally, and told their stories of how they were living in fear.
“My daughter and I are refugees from war that ravaged my hometown in the Ivory Coast from 2000 to 2005. We escaped death by fleeing our country for sanctuary in August of 2000. We left family, friends and our thriving restaurant behind,” said one woman.
“I did not fully understand the process for documented living in America and spent all of my savings on lawyers’ fees, medical tests and giving to people to help us through this process,” she said, adding that she lives in fear of government raids.
“This is morally unacceptable,” DiPaul said, noting that the prayer rally was a way to urge “our leaders to be morally just and to enact comprehensive immigration reform that truly reflects the moral call of the Gospel and the mission of Jesus and what the Statue of Liberty promises to all those who seek refuge in this country. Pope John XXIII, almost 50 years ago, wrote, ‘Every human being has the right for the freedom of movement and residence within the confines of their country.’
“We as Americans believe in the Judeo-Christian ethics upon which this nation was founded. The plight of the undocumented immigrants is consistent with the ‘Justice for Immigrants’ campaign of the United States conference of Catholic Bishops that seeks a just and steady means to help these immigrants.”
DiPaul said that on Saturday, May 1 during the prayer vigil people representing some 19 countries came forward. “They may not all have been undocumented but they came forward because they sought help.”
The rally included cultural dancers and a procession to the post office to mail more than 2,000 letters to political leaders in Washington, D.C.
For more information on the “Pray for Immigrants Weekend” visit www.piconetwork.org
—————-
My parents are from Mexico, and I was born in Camden
“I am 8 yrs old and I was born in Camden, N.J. My parents were born in Mexico and came to America for a better life. When I was born they were so happy! My parents tell me that in the U.S.A, if I do good in school, I can make a better future here and not be poor like they were in Mexico. I am worried that my parents will be taken from me because they are not U.S. citizens. We thought we were never to see Dad again because he was arrested trying to come home from visiting our family in Mexico. Why would people want to take my parents from me? My mom and dad want to make a better place for my younger sisters and me. They work hard to make America a safe place for all people. It is so sad that I have not been to the home of my cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents because my parents would be taken to jail when we return to our home in Camden, N.J. I have only been able to hear my grandmom’s voice, but I have not met her. Her voice sounds so old and she really loves us. She really wants to see us and hug and kiss us. I miss my grandmom. I hope that people soon know there are no illegal people, just daughters, sons, moms, dads, and grandmoms and grandpops. We are all one family under God.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
