12
November 19, 2019 | The Valley Catholic
IN THE CHURCH
Conversation About Life at the Border Inspires the Faithful to Action
By Joanna Thurmann
Migration is a human problem that
needs a human response. “Migrants
and refugees need our prayers, but
they also need real solutions, so they
can have more opportunities for work
and for living with dignity,” said
Father Pat Murphy, C.S., Director of
Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico.
He spoke about the work of the Casa,
as well as the changing realities of
those whom they serve, during a
Community Conversation about “Life
on the Border” at Santa Teresa Church
on September 26.
The event was organized by Catho-
lic Charities of Santa Clara County,
Grupo Solidaridad, and Santa Teresa
Parish Social Action Ministry. Lynda
DeManti, pastoral associate at Santa
Teresa, said, “Many pastoral leaders
like me were scandalized not only by
the cruelty on the border but by the
deafening silence from the pulpits.
We were hoping for an expression
of moral outrage denouncing the
policies. So we decided to find a way
to respond to these injustices in our
country.”
That response began with educa-
“People have the right
to not have to migrate.”
tion. Hence, they invited Father Pat
to share the stories and realities of
those who arrive at the border. Casa
del Migrante has operated in Tijuana
since 1987, founded by the Congre-
gation of the Missionaries of Saint
Charles Scalabrini. They assist the
most vulnerable, whether they are de-
portees, displaced persons, migrants
in transit, or refugees. They offer
shelter, food and clothing, as well as
a wide range of free services to aid
in the social reintegration, including
legal and health services, addiction
recovery, and job assistance.
In its 32 years, the Casa has wel-
comed over 260,000 people from
over 30 nations; 30,000 in just the
past 6 years. “The demographics
have changed over the years,” said
Father Pat, who was appointed as
shelter Director for the second time in
2013. At first, Casa assisted migrants
preparing to enter the US, but as the
US government began securing the
border, fewer people attempted to
Cecely Barneson speaks with Father Pat
Murphy C.S.
cross. Instead, 90% of shelter residents
became Mexican deportees, many of
whom came to the U.S. as children
and didn’t speak Spanish. In 2016,
the Casa saw an influx of people
seeking asylum. Over 20,000 came
from Haiti alone; those who went to
Brazil to build stadiums for the Rio
Olympics. They then traveled north
through 10 countries. In 2018, it was
the caravans of families, many from
Central America, who arrived all
along the border. Five months ago,
the Casa began accepting women
and children. They now comprise a
quarter of the guests.
U.S. immigration policy is harsh.
So is the reality of life at the border.
Not everyone knows the language or
has the right skills. Few workers over
age 45 are hired. And then there is the
crime and violence – 3,000 homicides
in Tijuana last year. Add to that the
corruption of the Mexican police,
who are known to harass and exploit
migrants.
The founder of the Scalabrini order
coined a phrase that still bears rel-
evance today. “People have the right
to not have to migrate.” That requires
confronting the realities that cause
migration in the first place; violent
conflicts, drugs and gang violence,
environmental degradation, natural
disasters, and poverty.
Pastoral leaders are planning a fol-
low up to the event with more informa-
tional gatherings and an observation
and investigative trip to the Southern
Border in the spring. Those who want
to support these efforts or partici-
pate in the trip should contact Lynda
DeManti at Santa Teresa, Father Jon
Pedigo at Catholic Charities of Santa
Clara County, or Dr. Judi Sanchez at
Group Solidaridad. More information
about Casa del Migrante can be found
at www.casadelmigrantetijuana.com.
Gómez: Nation has ‘Moral Obligation’ to
Keep Promise to DACA Recipients
December 6-8 Men’s & Women’s Silent Retreat: Daughters of Carmel Nuns
Be Still and Know That I Am God
To register call (650) 329-8518, visit tinyurl.com/retreatsilent2019
or email [email protected]
January 3-5 Gina Bauer Ministry: To register visit www.ginabauer.com
January 24-26 Men’s & Women’s Silent Retreat: Father Peter Prusakiewicz, CSMA
Why “Jesus I Trust in You!”? - The Divine Mercy and Angels Retreat
March 13-15 Women’s Silent Retreat (Lent): Father Thomas Hall, CSP
Hearing God’s Whisper in the Silence
March 20-22 Men’s & Women’s Silent Retreat (Lent): Father Paul McDonnell, OSJ
Seven Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph
831-423-8093 • www.stclaresretreat.com
Email: [email protected]
Staffed by Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- The “fail-
ures” of the nation’s leaders in Washing-
ton to make “comprehensive reforms to
immigration policy “cut across party
lines, said Archbishop José H. Gómez
of Los Angeles. These failures date
back to 1986, he said, which was the
last time Congress passed immigration
reform. Ahead of the oral arguments
on the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) taking place Nov. 12
at the U.S. Supreme Court, Archbishop
Gómez said there are “no doubt” con-
stitutional and legal questions “raised
by DACA and how it was enacted.
“But we need to be clear: The fate of
these young adults should never have
been in the courts in the first place,”
the archbishop wrote in a column Nov.
6 column in the Angelus, online news
outlet of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
“And it would not be, if our leaders in
Washington would simply set aside
their political interests and come
together to fix our nation’s broken im-
Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles,
newly elected President of the U.S. Confer-
ence of Catholic Bishops, speaks during
the fall general assembly of the USCCB in
Baltimore.
(CNS photo/Bob Roller)
migration system.”
DACA was established by President
Barack Obama’s executive order in 2012
and President Donald Trump ordered
an end to the program in 2017. Several
legal challenges to this order have re-
sulted in a consolidation of three DACA
cases now before the high court. The
full column can be found at https://
angelusnews.com/voices/daca-and-
our-future.