As Catholic Sisters committed to loving and serving God and neighbor without distinction, we are deeply disturbed by President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides stability and opportunity to 800,000 young people in our country.
Ever mindful of the most vulnerable among us, we join Catholic leaders locally and nationally in pledging our prayers and our support for DACA recipients and their families. Our Catholic faith calls us to “welcome the stranger” and to protect the dignity of these young people who were brought to the United States as children.
We pray for all those fearing the impact of DACA’s end and we call on the moral and ethical courage of members of Congress to work together to pass the bipartisan DREAM Act of 2017 to prevent unnecessary deportation and family separation.
“Dreamers” are students, laborers and members of the military who contribute to our society and our economy while pursuing education and training to support themselves and their families. Our schools, churches and communities are enhanced by their courage and resilience.
As Sisters of St. Joseph, we have a long history of ministering to immigrants, refugees and migrants, most recently through the establishment of Casa San Jose, a Brookline-based community resource center for Latino immigrants.
Sister Mary Pellegrino, CSJ, Congregational Moderator
Sister Diane Cauley, CSJ
Sister Sharon Costello, CSJ
Sister Barbara Czyrnik, CSJ