March 20, 2016 - St Augustine Cathedral

Saint Augustine Cathedral
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
March 20, 2016
Parish Mission Statement
Inside This Issue:
The Catholic Community of St. Augustine Cathedral,
nourished by the Eucharist and guided by the Holy Spirit
are sent forth to proclaim the Good News of God’s love for
all people.
Weekly Parish Information
2-3
Liturgical4-5
Prayer List
5
Parish News
6-7
Diocese News
8
World News
8-9
Feature Article: “US Bishops File Brief To Support
Immigration Guidelines”
As a Parish Community we will put this into action by
continuously developing a Pastoral Program that reaches
out to meet the needs of our Parishioners and community.
192 S. Stone Ave. • Tucson, Arizona 85701 • Tel (520) 623-6351 • Fax (520) 623-0088 • cathedral-staugustine.org
Parish Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 9 - 5 / Friday 9 - 4
St. Augustine Cathedral
Clergy & Staff Directory
Rector: Rev. Gonzalo Villegas
x115
Parochial Vicar:
Rev. Showri Raju Narra
x117
Capuchin Priests: Rev. Robert Kose • Rev. John Francis Samsa
Deacons:
Keating Ackerley • Salvador Carmona,
Charles Gallegos • Jesse Soto
Office Manager: Margie Marrufo
x102
Secretary: Norma Madril
x101
Receptionist: Cecilia Metz
x118
Compliance Officer: Terry Gill
x116
Diocesan & Cathedral Director of Music:
Carlos Zapien
x114
Maintenance: Gloria Ramos • Cecilia Metz
Nick Gomez
Rectory Housekeeper: Norma Pinedo
Bulletin & Website Editor: Patty Alcala
REGULAR Mass Schedule
Saturday
5:30 pm
English Vigil Mass - Organist
(Fulfills Sunday obligation)
Sunday
6:30 am
8:00 am
10:00 am
12:00 pm
5:30 pm
English Mass - No Music
Spanish Mass - Mariachi
English Mass - Choir
English Mass - Choir
Spanish Mass - Coro
Weekday English Masses
7:00 am & 12:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Holy Days (except Christmas & New Years)
7:00 am
12:00 pm
5:30 pm
English Mass
English Mass
Spanish Mass
Sacrament of Penance
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
2
Saturday
organizations & committees
Altar Server Society: Sylvia Kamei &
Sandra Smith
Docent/Hospitality: Leilani Gomez
Eucharistic Ministers: Liz Aguallo
Events Fundraising: Leilani Gomez
Finance Council: Joe Ladenburg
Guadalupanos: Juan Carlos Martinez
Keep Cathedral Grounds Beautiful: John Jacome
Knights of Columbus: John Badilla
Pastoral Council: Liz Aguallo
RCIA:Deacon Charles
Gallegos &
Gene Benton
St. Vincent de Paul: Justin Castillo
Usher Society:
Luis E. Kamei
Youth Group:
Matt Yanez & Ariana Varelas
Collections
March 6, 2016
Sunday Collection Received:
2nd Collect: $7,080.62
$1,685.97
Thank you for your continued and
generous support of our parish.
God bless you!
Sunday:
SAINTS AND SPECIAL
OBSERVANCES
Palm Sunday of the Passion
of the Lord
Monday:
Monday of Holy Week
Tuesday:
Tuesday of Holy Week
Wednesday: Wednesday of Holy Week;
Purim begins
Thursday:
Holy Thursday;
Paschal Triduum begins
Friday:
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
(Good Friday); Fast and Abstinence
Saturday:
Holy Saturday; Vigil of Easter
PARISH INFORMATION
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Sunday/Domingo3/20/16
ALL DAY
6:30am
8:00am
10:00am
12:00pm
5:30pm
6:30pm
GUADALUPANOS - BREAKFAST
English Mass
In Thanksgiving to St. Jude
Spanish Mass †Jesus & †Guadalupe Renteria
Bishop ‘S Mass
†Benito F. Lizardi
English Mass
†Joe & †Martin Gutierrez
Spanish Mass
†Manuel Richard Quintas
Youth group and 4th Parent Meeting in Hall
Monday/Lunes 3/21/16
7:00am
Daily English Mass
12:00pm
NO Daily English Mass
2:00pmCHRISM MASS
4:00pmrosary in spanish
†Bertha Bush / †Mr. & †Mrs. Clauberg
Tuesday/Martes
3/22/16
7:00am
12:00pm
Daily English Mass
Daily English Mass
Maria Clauberg
†Leonor Torres
Wednesday/Miercoles3/23/16
7:00am
Daily English Mass
†Bert Ramirez
12:00pm
Daily English Mass
In Thanksgiving to St. Theresa the
“Little Flower”
6:00pmCOMMUNAL PENANCE
6:00-9:00pm
RCIA in So. Room
Thursday/Jueves
7:00am
12:00pm
7:00pm
3/24/16
NO Daily English Mass
NO Daily English Mass
HOLY THURSDAY MASS †Esther Davila
Friday/Viernes 3/25/16
OFFICE CLOSED ALL DAY ON FRIDAY
7:00am
NO Daily English Mass
12:00pm
NO Daily English Mass
12:00pmVENERATION OF THE CROSS IN ENGLISH
3:00pm
LIVE SPANISH VIACRUCIS - SAN COSME TO CATHEDRAL
3:00pm
ENGLISH STATIONS OF THE CROSS - ST. AUGUSTINE
7:00pmVENERATION OF THE CROSS IN SPANISH
Saturday/Sabado
5:30pm
7:00pm
NO English Vigil Mass
EASTER VIGIL MASS
3/26/16
†Maria Montano
Advertise
your Business
with us!
WEBSITE
If you are interested in
placing an
ad/link for your
company on our
website, please contact
the parish office.
BULLETIN
If you are interested in
placing an ad for your
company in our Bulletin,
please contact
Claudia Borders at
(520) 298-1265
visit our
website!
cathedralstaugustine.org
NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES DUE TO HOLY WEEK
STARTING ON MONDAY MARCH 21ST
Is your child in a Religious Education Class? View your child’s schedule at:
http://cathedral-staugustine.org/religious-ed.html
PARISH INFORMATION
visit US ON
/staugustine
cathedral
3
palm sunday of the passion
of the lord
march 20, 2016
The Lord God is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced.
—Isaiah 50:7a
Evangelio y la consagración de la Eucaristía se hacen
dentro del templo, pero se comienza afuera del templo
con la bendición de los ramos.
En Estados Unidos y otros países latinoamericanos
se usan palmas en lugar de ramos. En Europa,
normalmente, se usan ramos de olivos. Últimamente
en Colombia para proteger la palma de cera del
Quindío, se les ha pedido a los fieles que usen ramitas
de plantas o ramos de flores. Estoy de acuerdo hay
que proteger el ambiente, pero admito que prefiero
las palmas, ya que es difícil poner un ramo de olivo o
de flores detrás de una imagen sagrada colgada en la
pared. Esta es una costumbre latina que nos recuerda
que los “hosannas” y el “crucifícalo” del domingo de
ramos nos acompañan todos los días del año.
—Fray Gilberto Cavazos-Glz, OFM, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday:
Is 42:1-7; Ps 27:1-3, 13-14; Jn 12:1-11
Tuesday:
Is 49:1-6; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a; Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34;
Mt 26:14-25
PASSION
The word “passion” connotes deep, focused
engagement. It also relates to passivity, interestingly.
The deeply passionate person in the Gospel narrative
from Luke is Jesus. He appears passive, but he is not. He
is wholly self-possessed and wholly present for the one
day that begins on Thursday evening at his last meal
with his apostles and ends with his burial before sunset
the next day. Then follows the long Sabbath silence.
The narrative of the Passion is read whole and
without pause on the Palm Sunday of the Passion.
This story, found in each of the Gospels, is
unchanging. We are the ones who change. Each
year, we bring ourselves with another year’s history
to hear and heed the story we so badly need. Life
has its way with us, and we look again to the Passion
narratives to learn to follow. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE
La liturgia oficial de la Iglesia para el Domingo de Ramos
es algo paradójica. Entramos proclamando Hosannas
con cantos y vítores y al poco tiempo estamos gritando:
“¡crucifícalo, crucifícalo!” Según el rito la lectura del
4
Thursday:
Chrism Mass: Is 61:1-3ab, 6a, 8b-9;
Ps 89:21-22, 25, 27; Rv 1:5-8; Lk 4:16-21
Lord’s Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14;
Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18;
1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15
Friday:
16,
Is 52:13 — 53:12; Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-
Saturday:
a) Gn 1:1 — 2:2 [1:1, 26-31a]; Ps 104:
1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35; or Ps 33:
4-7, 12-13, 20-22;
b) Gn 22:1-18 [1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18];
Ps 16: 5, 8-11;
c) Ex 14:15 — 15:1; Ex 15:1-6, 17-18;
d) Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13;
e) Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-6;
f) Bar 3:9-15, 32 — 4:4; Ps 19:8-11;
g) Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3-4
or Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 or Ps 51:12-15, 18-19;
h) Rom 6:3-11; i) Ps 118:1-2, 16-17,
22-23; Lk 24:1-12
Sunday:
Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17,
22-23; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; Jn 20:
1-9 or Lk 24:1-12 or (at an afternoon or
evening Mass) Lk 24:13-35
17, 25; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1 — 19:42
LITURGICAL
TODAY’S READINGS
Gospel at the Procession with Palms — Jesus’
entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-40).
First Reading — In spite of my sufferings I am not
disgraced. I am not put to shame (Isaiah 50:4-7).
Psalm — My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me? (Psalm 22).
Second Reading — Christ emptied himself, and God
filled this emptiness with exaltation (Philippians 2:6-11).
Gospel — The account of Christ’s passion according
to Luke (Luke 22:14 — 23:56 [23:1-49]).
The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997,
International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
Jubilee Year of
Mercy
Misericordiae Vultus: The Face of
Mercy is Pope Francis’ official decree announcing this
Jubilee Year of Mercy. But Francis had already declared
that Jesus “has shown the face of God’s mercy” back in
2013 on his first Palm Sunday as pope. Francis described
Luke’s account of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem:
“Crowds, celebrating, praise, blessing, peace: joy fills
the air. Jesus has awakened great hopes, especially
in the hearts of the simple, the humble, the poor, the
forgotten, those who do not matter in the eyes of the
world. He understands human sufferings . . . has bent
down to heal body and soul.” Entering Jerusalem, Jesus
looks at all of us with love, Francis continued, at our
sicknesses and sins. “A beautiful scene, full of light—the
light of the love of Jesus” (Pope Francis, Palm Sunday
homily, March 24, 2013). May this Jubilee Year’s Holy
Week and Triduum make us Jesus’ own light-bearers
and love-givers to all who long to see the Face of Mercy.
—Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. | Papal quotes Copyright © 2015, Libreria
Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.
Año Jubilar de la
Misericordia
Misericordiae Vultus: El rosto de la Misericordia es
el documento oficial (en este caso una Bula papal)
anunciando este Año Jubilar de la Misericordia. Sin
embargo, el Domingo de Ramos de 2013, el Papa
Francisco había anunciado que “Jesús ha mostrado
el rostro de la misericordia de Dios”. El Papa Francisco
describe la historia del Evangelio de Lucas donde
Jesús entra en Jerusalén así: “Gentío, fiesta, alabanza,
LITURGICAL
Please Pray for our
Parishioners
Please call the office to remove your
loved one’s name when well. Thank you!
Jennifer Abeyta
Cristen Aguirre
Francisca Aguirre
Margaret Aguirre
Esther Alba
Ruben G. Amado
Angela
Altagracia Araiza Valdez
Maria Cruz Badilla
Lee Leon Baker
Diego Ballesteros
Antonio Beltran
Benjamin F.A. Bicknese
Alma Rosa Bombilla Lopez
David Bombilla Fregoso
Terry Rico Bracamonte
Jenny Brichta
Deacon Oscar Bueno
Ana Bustamante
Maria Bustamante
Vincent Bustamante
Carmen Cardenas
Msgr. Arsenio Carrillo
Coach Carter
Omar Casas Varela 11yrs
Julie Castro
Alex Catalan
Luz Catalan
Pete Confrey
Walter Cruz
Theresa Cuestas
Margie Echeveria
Diego & Nubia Federico
Jerry Federico
Jose Fimbres
Jose Lluly Fimbres
Ursula Fimbres
Maria Galvan
David Garcia
Marco Antonio A. Garcia
Martin Gastelum
Yolanda Gastelum
Kathy Gatt
Christine Gill
Frank Chapo Gomez
Veronica Gomez
Roberto Grijalva
Octavio Guerrero
Erica Harper
Ofelia Hernandez
Rudy Ingels
Ramona Barba Inigues
Jesus Jaquez, Jr.
Elliot Janacek
William Logsdon
Angelica Lopez
Dora Lopez
Baby Gilberto Ramon Lopez, Jr.
Isaac Lopez
Maverick Lopez
Michelle Lopez
Curtis Lucas
Socorro Macedo
Javier Marrufo
Bertha Dolores Martinez
Rebeca Mesquita
Christina Molina
Rosalie Monreal
Jana Montione
Linda Montoya
Artie Navarro
Alfonso Nieto
Kyra Nieto
Jose Nunez
Liz Nunez
Nancy O’Connor
Neal O’Connor
Bernice Irene Ornelaz
Santiago Orozco, Sr.
Gerardo Pereira
Esther Perez
Mariah Peterson
Carmen Pinedo
Sherry Poe
Mother Preciado
Ernesto Quijada
Edilia Quiroz
Fred Riesgo
Graciela Rodarte
Bertha Romero
Dora Romero
Leonel Romero
Jaime Roybal
Sister Paulette Shaw
Millie Smith
Daniel Smyers
Deacon Jesse Soto
Howard Spence
Christine Stern
Mary Stern
Joe Szleszinski
Michele Tejada
Eric Torres-Largarda
Noel Torres
Rudy Torres
Georgeann Toto
Angel Valenzuela
Armando Valenzuela
Barbara Valenzuela
Berta Valenzuela
Monica Verdugo
Teresa Verdugo
Jonelia Whitten
Mark Whitten
Paula Whitten
Randy Whitten
Lydia Yanez
Yareth Ybarra
Gabriella Kenosha Zemont
5
bendición, paz. Se respira un clima de alegría. Jesús
ha despertado en el corazón tantas esperanzas, sobre
todo entre la gente humilde, simple, pobre, olvidada,
esa que no cuenta a los ojos del mundo. Él ha sabido
comprender las miserias humanas, ha mostrado el
rostro de misericordia de Dios y se ha inclinado para
curar el cuerpo y el alma”. El Papa Francisco sigue
diciendo que Jesús al entrar a Jerusalén mira a todos
con amor en nuestras debilidades y pecados. “Es una
bella escena, llena de luz – la luz del amor de Jesús,
de su corazón –, de alegría, de fiesta” (Papa Francisco,
homilía del Domingo de Ramos, 24 de marzo de 2013).
¡Qué la Semana Santa y Triduo Pascual de este Año
Jubilar de la Misericordia nos hagan portadores de
la luz de Jesús y mensajeros de amor a todos los que
anhelan ver El rostro de la Misericordia!
—Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. | Citas del Papa Copyright © 2015, Libreria Editrice
Vaticana. Usadas con permiso.
PARISH
REGISTRATION
update now or
lose out!
Please help us update the parish
parishioner’s registration list. Back in November of
2015, we mailed a letter to those registered in our
parish asking them to let us know if they wanted us
to keep them in our parish registration list. More than
200 letters were returned with wrong addresses. We
assume that probably 60% of those registered do
not attend our Church since the last time our parish
registration list was updated more than 20 years
ago. Please notify our parish office if you need to
update your registration information, or if you want
to be removed from our list. For those who are not
registered and attend our church, please consider
doing it. If we do not hear from those who are
registered by mid-April, they will be removed from
our parish list. Thank you for helping with this matter.
Reminder for Parents
Recuerdo para Padres
We would like to remind parents to please
accompany your children to the restrooms. We want
to promote a safe parish. Thank you
Nos gustaría recordar a los padres que por favor
acompañen a sus hijos a los baños. Queremos
promover una parroquia segura. Gracias
6
St. Augustine Cathedral
Rectory Capital Campaign
2015-2018 report
Parish Goal: $500,000
• Pledge Total: $68,040
(Paid to Date: $14,485)
• One Time Donation
Total: $41,886
• Total Cash
Received:
$56,371
Pledge + Donation
Parishioner
$ 109 , 926 •
Information
$ 56 , 371 •
Total Received
(as of 3/9/16):
3/9/16
• 36 Pledges received
of 1,656 Registered Parishioners (0.02%
participation).
• 2 Pledges received from Non-Parishioners.
• 122 One-Time Donations
GOAL :
$ 500,000
$ 400,000
$ 300,000
$ 200,000
$ 100,000
$0
As you can see the above numbers, we do need more
parishioner participation. Moreover, the number of
pledges received so far reveals the average pledge is
$1,790. The one-time donation average is $329. I am
impressed and thankful that 36 of our parishioners and
2 non-parishioners have pledged the amount above.
Imagine if everyone would participate. We would
not only reach our goal, but go beyond it. These
numbers show us that it is possible to reach our goal
of $500,000 when everyone participates.
I invite you to please consider making a pledge for
at least $1,000. That is only $28 per month in a
three-year period. Please pray for the Parish Capital
Campaign success.
We remind you that construction on the rectory roof
will begin very soon. Again, thank you for your support.
USHERS NEEDED
Interested in becoming a
St. Augustine Church Usher?
We are now recruiting men & women for a rewarding
spiritual and uplifting experience as liturgical
ministers Usher or Greeter serving in God’s house.
Those who desire to serve as ministers of hospitality
should be active and faithful members of the Church.
Ushering is an oportunity to serve God by serving
His people and is a marvelous way to actively and
PARISH NEWS
Español
English
3/25/16
3/25/16
via crucis 2016
HORARIO / schedule
3:00pm en San Cosme
3:00pm in the Church
faithfully participate in the Mass.
The heart of an usher is the heart of a servant, and he
does his work for his Lord Jesus. A church usher has a
true love for the people of the church. If you desire to
promote an atmosphere of reverence and worship in
the house of God, please contact the parish office for
more information at 623-6351.
St. augustine
cathedral heart to
serve ministry fair
An invitation to our parish Ministry Fair that
will be held on Sunday, April 10, 2016 after the
following masses: 6:30am, 8am, 10am, and 12pm in
the placita.
God needs YOU! Your parish needs YOU!
Ever wanted to know more about a ministry and did
not know who to ask? Ever thought about joining an
additional ministry?
Each ministry will have an information table and
sign-up sheet for those wanting to be more involved.
There are so many ministries in our parish from bible
study to ushers, from decorations to St. Vincent de
Paul – just to name a few.
We look forward for you to stop to visit, ask
questions at each of our ministry tables.
When we give of our time and talent, we grow in the
Kingdom of God and inspire others by our faithful
example. When we respond generously, we build a
community of service and love!
Feria de Ministerios
“Heart to Serve” de
la Catedral de San
Agustín
Los invitamos a la Feria de Ministerios de nuestra
parroquia que se llevará a cabo el domingo 10
de abril de 2016 después de las siguientes misas:
6:30am, 8am, 10am, and 12pm en la placita.
PARISH NEWS
Diáconos Carmona y Leon
Deacons Gallegos & Ackerley
¡Dios lo necesita a USTED! ¡Su parroquia lo necesita
a USTED!
¿Ha querido usted siempre informarse acerca de algún
ministerio y no ha sabido a quién preguntarle? ¿Ha
pensado usted en ser parte de algún otro ministerio?
Cada uno de nuestros ministerios tendrá una mesa
informativa con hojas de inscripción para todos los
que deseen participar más activamente. En nuestra
parroquia hay muchos ministerios desde estudio de
la biblia a acomodadores, desde decoraciones a San
Vicente de Paúl – por nombrar algunos.
Esperamos que todos visiten la feria de ministerios y que
hagan preguntas a los representantes de los ministerios
que estarán presentes en sus respectivas mesas.
Cuando compartimos nuestro tiempo y nuestros
talentos crecemos en el Reino de Dios e inspiramos
a otros con nuestro ejemplo de fe. Cuando
respondemos generosamente, ¡construimos una
comunidad de servicio y de amor!
Youth Group
Our Lady’s Mantle
Your Cathedral has a youth group and is inviting
all high school students to come and explore their
relationship with our Lord! Our Lady’s Mantle
caters to the development of the Catholic faith in
high school teens and emphasizes the beauty of
our relationship with the Virgin Mary through fun
activities, engaging talks, and deep discussions.
We meet Sunday evenings from 6:30pm - 8:30pm in
the South Room of the parish hall all year round.
Have questions or need more info?
Matt Yanez at (520) 979-4715 or
Ariana Varelas at (520) 548-9484.
matt ellis
We are very sad to hear of Matt Ellis’ passing.
Please pray for his family and friends.
7
What the aca
funds
quÉ financia la
compaŃa
Evangelization and Hispanic Ministry
Focuses on reaching out and extending the peace
and love of Jesus Christ to everyone. This ministry
also works to explore ways to meet the needs of
Hispanic Catholics within the Diocese.
Evangelización y Minsterio Hispano
Centrado en ofrecer asistencia y tender la mano a todos
para compartir la paz y el amor de Jesucristo. Este
ministerio también procura satisfacer las necesidades
de los católicos hispanos de nuestra Diócesis.
Position Openings,
Diocese of Tucson
The following vacant
positions within the Diocese of
Tucson are available as of 3/7/16.
To view the position Description and information on
how to apply, please refer to www.diocesetucson.
org (Employment Opportunities).
Schools:
•
San Miguel High School, Tucson, AZ – School
President
•
Immaculate Heart Schools, Tucson, AZ
o Fifth Grade Teacher
o School Nurse
o Computer Teacher (Part-time)
8
COME HOME TO GOD’S MERCY
THROUGH THE AFTER-EASTER
ALIENATED CATHOLICS ANONYMOUS
SERIES:
Inactive? Hurt? Angry? Alienated from God or the
Church? Seeking peace? Come to the 6-part afterEaster Alienated Catholics Anonymous series at Our
Mother of Sorrows Parish, 1800 South Kolb Road,
Tucson, AZ. The series focus is on God’s Mercy. It
begins on Monday, March 28th at 7:00PM in the
Parish Activity Center, then continues on for 5
consecutive Monday evenings. Sometimes, years of
non-participation makes Catholics feel like strangers
in their own church. This series will involve informal
sharing, reflections from Catholics recently returned
to full and active participation in their faith. It will also
serve as an update on what Catholics believe. The
series will address the needs of those who have entered
into non-sacramental marriages and where there
exists conflicts between their closest relationships and
their Church. Pre-registration is encouraged but not
required. (747-1321). There is no fee.
You Did It for Me
Odette started working with Catholic
Relief Services even before she
gave birth to her daughter, Olga, to
ensure her baby would get the care
she needed during the crucial first
1,000 days of life. This time period
is so important that CRS is working
with communities like Odette’s
throughout Rwanda to end child
malnutrition through health and
nutrition programs.
Your help can ease
suffering and restore
hope for our brothers
and sisters.
To learn more, please visit:
www.crsricebowl.org/stories-of-hope/week-3
DIOCESE & world NEWS
US Bishops File Brief to
Support Immigration
Guidelines
Say the directives provide “substantial
humanitarian benefits”
Immigration guidelines permitting deferral of
the deportations of millions of people provide
“substantial humanitarian benefits” and should
be permitted to stand, said an amicus curiae brief,
filed March 8 in the U.S. Supreme Court by the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops and 24 other U.S.
faith-based organizations whose work includes
advocating for or providing aid and resources to
recent immigrants and their families.
The case is United States v. Texas, in which some
states have challenged the federal government’s
implementation of immigration guidelines issued by
the Secretary of Homeland Security. The guidelines
effectively stay the deportation proceedings of
4-5 million undocumented people who pose no
national security or public safety threat and who
have longstanding close family ties to people in the
United States.
These guidelines, the brief said, provide “important
benefits to those most vulnerable in our society and
to those who serve them” and also ensure “that the
public will continue to benefit from the substantial
contributions of recent immigrants.”
Other groups joining the brief were Church World
Service; the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.); Leadership Conference of Women
Religious; Disciples Home Missions; Sisters of
Mercy of the Americas; Sojourners; Franciscan
Action Network; Missionary Servants of the Most
Holy Trinity; NETWORK, a National Catholic Social
Justice Lobby; Mennonite Central Committee U.S.;
Conference of Major Superiors of Men; General
Synod of the United Church of Christ; National
Latino Evangelical Coalition; Hope for Peace
and Justice; Good Shepherd United Church of
Christ; ISAIAH; Shadow Rock; Christ’s Foundry
United Methodist Mission; Esperanza; Southside
Presbyterian Church; Oklahoma Conference of
Churches; National Hispanic Christian Leadership
Conference; and Reformed Church of Highland Park.
March 10, 2016 | Zenit Staff | zenit.org
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