Sheila Gilbert, President of SVDPUSA writes.. Please, encourage members of Congress to shake-off current apathy and resume working on Immigration Reform.

Dear Vincentians,
On April 1, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson and several other US Bishops will be in Nogales, Arizona on April 1 to tour the U.S.-Mexico border and celebrate Mass on behalf of the 6,000 migrants who have died in the U.S. desert since 1998.

The bishops want to bring attention to the human suffering caused by a broken immigration system.  “What we fail to remember in this debate is the human aspect of immigration – that immigration is primarily about human beings, not economic or social issues,” said Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration. “Those who have died — and those deported each day — have the same value and innate God-given dignity as all persons, yet we ignore their suffering and their deaths.”

The trip follows the example of Pope Francis, who, in his first trip outside of Rome, traveled to the Italian island of Lampedusa to remember African migrants who died attempting to reach Europe. During that trip, Pope Francis spoke about the “globalization of indifference” toward migrants and decried the “throwaway culture” that disposes of human beings in the pursuit of wealth.

Please click on the Take Action link  to send a letter to your Senators and to your Representative to urge them to take on this important legislation.

Yours in St. Vincent and Blessed Frederic,

Sheila Gilbert

President

National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul