The Catholic
Herald, Milwaukee's weekly, published
an article this past week on our Justice
for Immigrants Postcard Campaign... online
article>>
Prayer Service puts spotlight on immigration
issues
 Written by Dave Fidlin, Special to your
Catholic Herald
Thursday, 22 April 2010 12:00
Catholic Herald photo by Ernie Mastroianni
MILWAUKEE – Immigration reform was
on the minds of parishioners throughout the
Archdiocese on Palm Sunday, March 28 as Catholics
from nearly 100 parishes attended an immigration
prayer service led by Bishop Richard J. Sklba.
Pat Gallo, center left, of Immaculate Heart
of Mary Parish in West Allis, and Carl J.
Malischke, in vest, of St. Catherine Church
in Milwaukee are part of a large line of
people from various archdiocese area churches
who placed postcards in baskets to be sent
to Wisconsin federal representatives during
a prayer service at St. Joseph Chapel in
Milwaukee on Sunday, March 28. The cards
called on the representatives to support
immigration reform.
The event, held at St. Joseph Chapel on
Milwaukee’s near south side, was an
opportunity for members of Catholic organizations
to share how they have been impacted by existing
laws that called for some immigrants to be
deported to their native countries, even
if they had lived in America for a substantial
portion of their lives.
The prayer service was the outgrowth of
a larger effort under way between the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee
on Migration and the board of directors of
the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc.
In 2004, both organizations resolved to make
comprehensive immigration reform, with special
emphasis on legalization, a major public
policy priority within the Catholic Church.
Officials from both groups embarked on a
campaign, Catholic Justice for Immigration.
In a symbolic gesture of support, participants
presented signed postcards at the prayer
service that were later submitted to the
offices of Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl
and Reps. Gwen Moore, Paul Ryan and Jim Sensenbrenner.
Postcards, had also been collected at Catholic
parishes, schools and nonprofit organizations
in the preceding weeks. Rob Shelledy, coordinator
of the Milwaukee Archdiocese’s social
justice ministry, estimated 12,272 postcards
were collected.
Moore was at the prayer service and pledged
to accept the message on the literature that
included a statement that the current U.S.
immigration system is flawed and in need
of repair so families can stay together and
work toward legitimate citizenship. The postcards
also called for more humane enforcement practices
relevant to immigration laws.
“I ask for your prayers and support
so we can claim victory,” Moore said
after accepting the postcards. “These
are difficult times, but we have the Lord
on our side, and we have each other.”
In a statement explaining the rationale
for the prayer service and postcard initiative,
Shelledy said it was an important opportunity
during a very holy time of the year to express
the Catholic Church’s stance on serving
people as Jesus would.
“When people of faith stand in prayer
and solidarity, it makes a very strong witness
not only to our community, but to our legislative
representatives,” Shelledy said. “Our
faith calls us to stand together with immigrant
brothers and sisters, and we express our
support for the goals of the Catholic Justice
for Immigration campaign.”
Speaking at the prayer service, Bishop Sklba
likened the call of the church to the story
of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. During
Lent, Bishop Sklba said, it is the duty of
Catholics to have mission-minded ideals while
interacting with others.
“(The Good Samaritan) cared for that
victim, and we are called to do the same,” Bishop
Sklba said. “To be faithful to our
God means treating all people with profound
respect.”
While noting the importance of laws, Bishop
Sklba said hurting those with the greatest
needs in our country not only is a disservice
to those being deported, but it hurts the
lawmakers themselves.
“God looks down on this,” he
said.
School Sister of Notre Dame Josephe Marie
Flynn shared the story of José, a
Mexican native who came with his parents
in search of a better life when he was 14.
Thirty-five years later, U.S. customs officials
required José to return to Mexico.
When the incident occurred in 2005, José left
behind his wife and his children.
“(He) was dumped in a country he didn’t
know,” Sr. Josephee Marie said. “This
broke away from simple human rights standards.”
Fr. Joe Lubrano, a priest of the Society
of the Divine Savior, shared the story of
a a member of his religious community who
had to leave because of his non-residency
status.
“We tried every way we could to help
our brother stay in the U.S.” Fr. Lubrano
said. “He obviously was not a threat
to anyone. But the judge said there would
be no exceptions in this case.”
Fr. Lubrano said he questions the rationale
behind the iron-fisted deportation laws that
have intensified since the late 1990s.
“All of us … are not natives
to this country, if you look back at history,” Fr.
Lubrano said. “(Today’s immigrants)
are doing what our forefathers did. They’re
looking for a better life. I have to be honest;
I have very little trust in our government
in terms of its immigration procedures. My
hope and prayer is we open our hearts and
minds …. and welcome our sisters and
brothers, no matter where they are from.”
The postcards are important, Sr. Josephe
Marie, said, because they are a means of
pressing legislators to look long and hard
at current laws.
“What we start here is momentum,” she
said. “We are working toward reform
on this issue. We are in this
together, seeking out workable solutions,
based on values.”
|
IHM parishioner Dr. Charles Wilkie’s 
