“The Catholic Church in the United States is an immigrant Church with a long history of embracing diverse newcomers and providing assistance and pastoral care to immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move.  Our Church has responded to Christ’s call for us to “welcome the stranger among us,” for in this encounter with the immigrant, the migrant, and the refugee in our midst, we encounter Christ” so writes the US Catholic Conference of Bishops. As well, in these days one walks into a political maelstrom that echoes the deep political divide. One only need read the news to read about the events unfolding at our southern border – and depending on the source you use you will get a certain slant on the events as “crisis”, “humanitarian disaster”, with blame assigned to past or current administrations. Continue reading →