MADISON — Immigrants […]
Tag: immigrant
We should treat immigrants with dignity and respect
To the editor:
I have seen a poster several different occasions over the years that says “I am a stranger and you welcomed me [signed] Jesus”, where the word stranger is crossed out and replaced by the word “immigrant.” As a Catholic, I strongly believe that this is what my faith calls me to do: welcome the stranger, help those in need, and treat all with dignity and respect.
Thus, I am heartbroken to see how our nation has been treating immigrants, more so with the recent ICE arrests here in Wisconsin and the Madison area. According to ICE, only half of those arrested in Wisconsin had a previous criminal conviction. The other half, we are criminalizing simply for being here from another country. This is not acceptable, Christian treatment of our fellow human beings.
Center welcomes immigrants, and they give back
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| Marlene and Ray help in the food pantry at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison. They have volunteered at the center for many years. Ray came to the United States from Mexico when he was 16 years old and later married Marlene. They raised a family of nine children. Ray became a citizen of the U.S. in the fall of 2017 with the help of CMC staff. (Contributed photo) |
MADISON — The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison has an extensive history working to welcome the stranger, actively serving immigrants from countries all over the world and all walks of life for the last three decades.
In 2017, CMC English as a Second Language classes served 163 students from 34 different countries who spoke 17 different languages.
Whether coming to the CMC seeking services, support, a sense of community, or to help out, each immigrant has their own story. Three immigrants at the CMC offered to share their stories.
Long journey to citizenship
Marlene and Ray have been volunteering at the CMC food pantry every week since 1995 and were actively involved with the CMC in different capacities even before that.
The CMC was recently blessed to experience a major milestone in the couple’s life: After being in the U.S. for 40 years, Ray became a U.S. citizen this past fall.
Center welcomes immigrants, and they give back
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| Marlene and Ray help in the food pantry at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison. They have volunteered at the center for many years. Ray came to the United States from Mexico when he was 16 years old and later married Marlene. They raised a family of nine children. Ray became a citizen of the U.S. in the fall of 2017 with the help of CMC staff. (Contributed photo) |
MADISON — The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison has an extensive history working to welcome the stranger, actively serving immigrants from countries all over the world and all walks of life for the last three decades.
In 2017, CMC English as a Second Language classes served 163 students from 34 different countries who spoke 17 different languages.
Whether coming to the CMC seeking services, support, a sense of community, or to help out, each immigrant has their own story. Three immigrants at the CMC offered to share their stories.
Long journey to citizenship
Marlene and Ray have been volunteering at the CMC food pantry every week since 1995 and were actively involved with the CMC in different capacities even before that.
The CMC was recently blessed to experience a major milestone in the couple’s life: After being in the U.S. for 40 years, Ray became a U.S. citizen this past fall.
Continue to welcome immigrants
In the 1970s, I remember going to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin to do a story on refugees from Vietnam who were settling in the Diocese of Madison.
One of our parishes — St. Joseph Parish in Dodgeville — helped sponsor a number of these Vietnamese refugees.
Over the years, refugees from other countries received assistance settling in our diocese through the Catholic Charities resettlement program.
Programs such as this continue throughout the United States through Catholic Charities and other religious-based agencies.
Dispelling fear in a season of hope
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| Fr. Bart Timmerman |
One of the hallmarks of the Catholic Church in the United States is ministry to immigrants.
Some of the first saints of our American Church served Catholic immigrants to the United States. Most notably is St. Frances Cabrini, who was the first American citizen who was canonized. She founded hospitals, schools, and institutions for the poor that served immigrants in large cities like New York and Chicago. She is the Patron Saint of Immigrants because of her devotion and care for them.
Welcoming immigrants
So it has always been the Catholic Church through the centuries that has welcomed immigrants to the United States. Still in our day, we as Catholics, have a duty to continue ministering to our brothers and sisters who come to the United States in search of a better life for themselves and their families.