Community – By Another Way

Meeting Migrant Families in El Paso

The photo shows travel bags prepared for migrants heading to families across the United States.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement otherwise known as ICE has, under Trump, been releasing large numbers of migrant families, on parole, to the streets of El Paso, Texas. The Catholic sisters of Annunciation House here have been working for years providing hospitality shelters and a short transition for these folks, trying to get them on their way to family members and friends throughout the U.S. within 24-48 hours. These most recent large releases have overwhelmed their system as they now are running six shelters and are collaborating another seven. They issued a call for help from other congregations of women religious, and as a justice and peace facilitator for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, I am able to volunteer two weeks.

The journey to El Paso to volunteer was anything but smooth, including cancelled and delayed flights and being stranded in Denver overnight for the second time this year. Even getting to the place I would be staying was delayed because of a fiesta in the area closed the roads. But as a sister-colleague chided me, I was only experiencing some solidarity with the migrants whose journey to El Paso was so much more difficult.

I had a good night’s sleep in the dorm room the first night, great prayer time in the early morning hours and started my volunteer work at Centro San Juan Diego Monday morning at 8 AM.

When ICE releases families, Annunciation house receives a text each morning indicating how many families will be released that day. The families are spread over the six shelters or assigned to some of the hotels the sisters now rent. Families start arriving at Centro San Juan Diego about 3 PM. After welcoming them with soups etc., intake begins by gathering critical information from their ICE paperwork. After intake, they are given hygiene kits and allowed to shower and pick out new clothes, Volunteers in the meantime begin calling sponsors. These sponsors may be family or friends anywhere in the U.S. and are asked to provide plane or bus tickets for the migrants and to call back when the tickets are purchased. This lets the volunteers and the families know how quickly they will be able to go on their way.

Dorm rooms are assigned, and meals served. Dinners are often brought by local parishes. The families remain in the shelter building or can play in a fenced in yard where they can enjoy the sunshine.

Travel bags with sandwiches, snacks and drinks are prepared for each family soon to depart. This was the work I was assigned Monday. Taking their information from their travel document prepared during intake, I could put a bag together for the family depending on how many were traveling together, the ages and sex of the children and whether they were flying or taking a bus. No full water bottles for air flight, and extra sandwiches for those traveling for days on a bus. Most travel without any money at all.

Each bag is a unique invitation to pray for the family receiving it. I pray they be nourished on their journey and find welcome wherever they go, and most importantly, that they know they are loved. I also prayed that they be treated as the unique, wonderful, warm and beautiful people they are.

I write this as I stay with them overnight. Soon I will wake two dads and their children soon for a 4 am pick-up by a volunteer driver who will take them to the airport. Another wake-up call to a family for a six o’clock drive to the Greyhound station by yet another volunteer driver. I’ll put out breakfast around 8:00 AM and be relieved about 10. Every hour has been a pleasure.

My one regret is my lack of Spanish. It is not that I cannot help without it, but I already miss the opportunity to have a chat with many of them, who invariably greet all of us with happy smiles, fist bumps, fancy handshakes, warm hearts and even a few hugs.

P.S. Photos of the families are prohibited.

Vote for Humanity

As a Catholic, I accept the basic truth of my faith that underlies the sanctity of human life. That basic principle is that we all derive our dignity from our creation as individuals in the image and likeness of God. We are created as one family with great diversity. Our faith teaches that God is trinity, a community of love, and we, made in God’s image and likeness are to be the same.

As election day is upon us, I take my faith to the voting booth. The general feeling of the nation is that the vote tomorrow is a referendum on Trump. I cannot argue with that, he chooses to say a vote for a republican is a vote for him. Most of his party has voted in lock step with him over the past two years. Politicians who berated Obama for his spending, voted to increase the deficit with their tax cuts for the wealthy. All but three of his senators voted to destroy the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), with no replacement agreed upon. All senators but one voted for the confirmation of an accused sexual abuser for a seat on the supreme court.

Trump’s rhetoric over the past few weeks, makes it clear that the racism of which he has been accused is verifiable. I cannot tell if his is inherently racist or simply finds it helpful to advance his agenda and power up his MAGA followers. But I have no doubt is is a very ill individual. His rhetoric led to the deaths of two blacks and eleven Jewish worshippers last week and motivated a disciple to send fifteen bombs to political leaders who believe Trump is leading the nation away from its founding ideals.

As I enter the voting booth, I will not see Trump’s name, but will vote against any member of his party on the federal level. Anyone who denigrates minorities, immigrants, people who are poor or disabled, or who embraces those who do so, is not deserving of a leadership role in America.

Some will say “But he appoints right to life judges!” To them I say, motive matters. If Trump believed in our common humanity his “right to life” position might have some weight. However, since he is willing, if not eager, to use nuclear weapons, berates anyone who disagrees with him, proposes cuts to child nutrition programs, and cares little for the violated immigrants of Central America who seek asylum on our nation, I believe his right to life position is simply manipulation. It allows for continued male domination of women’s bodies and their health. The Access Hollywood tape two years ago made it clear to us all the high regard in which he holds a woman’s body. In addition, the judges Trump appointed, as are those appointed by Bush, are myopically pro-business/anti-labor…but my objections to that are for another post.

There are so many more reasons to use this election to vote against Trump and his cronies, but believing in our common humanity is all the reason I need.

Father’s Day Rally for Immigrant Families

The morally reprehensible actions of our government at the southern border, separating immigrant children from their mothers and fathers, done in our name, and with our tax dollars, cannot be allowed to continue. The pathetic efforts of Jeff Sessions to use scripture to justify separating parents and children makes my stomach turn. To justify this repulsive program is to turn my back on the moral wisdom of western civilization passed on to me through my family and church.

These families fleeing violence in their native Honduras, or Guatemala, or El Salvador want nothing more than safety for their children, to which they have a right. The right of persons being persecuted to seek asylum is enshrined in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United States is a signatory to that document. Those who believe our national sovereignty is threatened by the United Nations ought to recall that our own Declaration of Independence claims that every person on earth is created equal and has God-given, inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those are rights of all, people not just of U.S. citizens.

I have witnessed the damage done to unaccompanied youth who are denied a place to live in peace. During the fall of 2016, I met many youngsters who were coming to realize that their dream of immigrating to England would be denied. Some of these 15 and 16-year olds had trekked across Africa and the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe and eventually to Calais. They told of the abuse they suffered on the journey, especially in Libya. Some were inflicting harm on themselves including suicide, others fell victim to traffickers, still others, just disappeared. For some of the young on the border they have faced many of the same abuses on the journey north, many are defenseless in the face of traffickers and now their hopes of living without war and violence are dashed.

Years ago, a group of my (all white) neighbors and I journeyed to a parish in Elizabeth, New Jersey to meet on a Saturday afternoon with undocumented immigrants, to ‘listen to their stories’ and share a light meal of home-made Peruvian empanadas. The young men told us how they were truckers in their home country, but that the gangs had taken their trucks and put them out of business. They had no funds to replace the trucks, no land to farm and no way to feed their children. They came to the U.S. to work so they could send money home to feed their children. One among us who was not very welcoming of refugees was moved by the sincerity of the desire of the undocumented young fathers to feed their children. When asked if he understood why they crossed into the U.S. without papers, my friend remarked, “How could I call myself a father, if I would not do the same?

If you agree that this policy of separating children must end, please contact your elected federal officials. You can find their contact information here. If you see a demonstration against this practice announced, join it, even if it is a first time for you. I also ask your prayers for the many volunteers working on the border to show love and respect to these immigrant families. There are congregations of religious sisters and Catholic Charities that could use your prayers and perhaps donations.

I cannot finish without wondering how much of the violence from which these immigrants flee is U.S. inspired. Clearly the war in El Salvador was a factor. What other military incursions have we managed? How many guns have been sold to these countries? How many of their leaders have been trained at the Fort Benning School for Assassins?

I’m currently reading a book by Kerry Kennedy written about her father, Robert. F. Kennedy. Allow me to close with a quote from RFK.

All great questions must be raised by great voices,
and the greatest voice is the voice of the people—speaking out
—in prose, or painting or poetry or music;
speaking out
—in homes and halls, streets and farms,
courts and cafes
—let that voice speak and the stillness you hear
will be the gratitude of mankind.

Coming and Going

Wednesday, Donna Clifford, CSJP-A arrived from Seattle as did Sr. Francois, with three of her colleagues who are Ignatian Sisters from Paris. The sisters will be opening a house a few blocks away in support of Brother Johannes and his work with the refugees.

Omar, a young Iraqi with computer repair skills, who wants to be come Christian moved into the house for a few days on Wednesday.

Thursday, we drove the two Jesuit philosophy students, Oliver and Joakim to the train station so they could return to their studies after a retreat that starts Monday. They had been with us since Sunday.

Now it is my turn to depart. Last night, as has become a tradition in the house they had a cake for me to say good bye. I should have anticipated it and prepared something to say, but as anyone who knows me will understand, I do not like being the center of attention and hoped the moment would pass. But I was genuinely moved by the words from many around the table who thanked me for my service. Even quiet Hussein, my hospital visiting buddy and translator made a speech in English. Several made remarks that were then translated into English for me.

My thoughts and words were genuine, but it also helped deflect the emotions of the moment to talk about how we can continue to work together after I return home. Perhaps leading the bible studies via Skype?

I will not miss the teargas (yesterday afternoon) the absolutely inconsistent police checks every time I was asked to drive into the Jungle, the too small kitchen for preparing meals for 30, which also serves as the crossroads of the house, or the flies.

But some of the best people on earth live in that house, all of us are flawed people to be sure, but willing to love each other in spite of our own weaknesses and the struggles with the work we do together. I will miss each one of them.

I am tired, my back hurts and I have not slept for three nights because of either bed bugs or fleas. (Bed bugs would make this an authentic Catholic Worker experience, wouldn’t it?) So it is time to go. But, as I have warned my bride, I do not return home whole. Part of me will never leave Calais and the beautiful people I have met here.

I hope to return.

Perhaps to celebrate the close of the camp and integration of its beautiful

Sudanese night kitchen gathering with Ibrahim in foreground

residents into our societies.

Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Learning from Fondwa

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Lk. 4:16-19America was founded with a healthy love of independence balanced by a vision of equality among all persons. The rejection of monarchical tyranny was a huge step forward in human development. It becomes dangerous however when independence becomes idealized without the responsibility to maintain relative equality. The swagger of rugged individualism today risks losing that balance.

The ever widening gap in wealth and rhetoric that condemns victims of poverty for their victimhood puts our democracy at risk and does violence to our founding vision. Have we replaced the divine right of kings with the absolute rights of the well to do?

For just over six months a small group of us trying to live by another way, have been meeting the first Tuesday evening of the month to watch a movie about nonviolence. We learn how ignorant we have been about the youthful movement that used humor as a “weapon” in the bloodless overthrow of Milosevic in “Bringing Down the Dictator”, or the peaceful, popular rejection of the rigged election in the Ukraine depicted in the “Orange Revolution”.

This Tuesday evening we were moved by the video “The Road to Fondwa”, a story of self-development in Haiti.

Joseph Philippe is a man born in Fondwa, but educated overseas. He became a priest and returned to his hometown to bring good news to the poor. In 1988 he founded the APF, a peasant’s organization that began the community’s development by digging a new road– by hand– thru the mountains. With less than a nickel, they founded Fonkoze, a bank that when the film was made in 2006 was worth $10 million dollars and served 35,000 Haitians with micro loans. They worked to provide potable water for the town, and a University was founded.

What is so remarkable is the contrast between American ‘rugged individualism’ and the broader, more inclusive vision held by the peasants of Fondwa. They knew they depended on one another. Students from throughout Haiti invited to the University are expected to return to their hometowns to pass on what they’ve learned and to spread the development. The people knew that Fondwa was but a finger of the hand that was Haiti. They were all in it together.

By contrast, our New Jersey towns fight each other for tax ratables and conspire to keep affordable housing isolated in low-income communities. Apparently, our affluent isolation entitles us to be free of the ‘burden’ of low income families.

The earthquake 51 weeks ago devastated the infrastructure of Fondwa, but not the commitment of its people to one another. A December 2010 post on the progress of the people of Fondwa and their needs can be found in an Families Health Ministries update. With each blow they rally to help one another get up and move forward.

It is often stated that Haiti is the poorest nation in the hemisphere. But with commitments to each other as witnessed in the film and the earthquake’s aftermath they prove themselves richer that their wealthy northern neighbors. But outside monetary help is still needed.

Saturday, January 8, 2011 from 10-1, there will be a peaceful protest at the Offices of the Bill Clinton Foundation at 55 West 125th Street in Manhattan, “Give Aid to the Haitian People Now” seeks delivery of the billions of dollars in aid collected for relief of Haiti. The Facebook Event profile will provide details. See you there?

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Coming posts:
Witness Against Torture, Vigil and Fast, Washington, DC Jan 11-22