The season of Easter, of Spring, of hope and renewal has finally arrived – and just in time. In time to pluck us out of this maelstrom of doubt, uncertainty, and a series of seemingly unending challenges to the good work we do to serve the poor.  We are reminded during this season that even in times of discord and despair, there is reason to hope in the possibility of rebirth and renascence.

In uncertain times, it becomes almost easier to be complacent – and to detach from the world that is hurling so much ignominy in our direction.  The risk we take by abdicating in this way is abandonment of compassion, and ultimately empathy – of feeling the pain and grief suffered personally by the “other.”  As members of the Vincentian Family, we know how important it is to “welcome the stranger,” yet we cannot be welcoming without churning up some empathy that might give us insight and true understanding of the plight that characterizes the lives of the “other,” the marginalized, the forgotten, the ones left behind. Empathy can be uncomfortable when aimed at those who are not in our everyday orbit because it guides us to a place of identifying with the outsiders in our world, and that brings about a sense of unease, even fear.  But it is critical to be actively empathetic, to work with and for those who suffer the greatest strife at the hands of unjust systems and tyranny.

Uncertainty and ill-will in our environment threaten our own salvation if we allow these swords of wicked intentions to undermine our very raison d’être. We are born into these times to make a difference – small or large, lasting or transient, effectual or sometimes without measurable effect – differences that can, however imperceptible to us as we drive change, alter the course of events that, over time, can restore balance, equity and justice.

Our work is a salve for our souls, because it soothes the restless agonies we battle daily as we seek to right the wrongs of an unjust society. It is a necessary moral duty that we carry out because of our faith, even while the arrows of oppression pierce faith’s fortitude.  And we carry out this duty in the face of dwindling resources and some essential forms of external support.  The most blatant example of this is the distressing news about the recent U.S. Bishops’ break with the federal government after the current administration froze federal funding for refugee resettlement programs. After a 50-year partnership that allowed the Church to amplify its much-needed support to immigrants and refugees, the Church finds itself in the uncomfortable position of having to relinquish programs with nearly a century of history. According to the U.S. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “…Since 1920, Catholic leaders have worked to help vulnerable families, including persecuted people of faith, rebuild their lives.”  He goes on to explain that “…partnerships with the federal government helped expand lifesaving programs, benefiting our sisters and brothers from many parts of the world. All participants in these programs were welcomed by the U.S. government to come to the United States and underwent rigorous screening before their arrival. These are displaced souls who see in America a place of dreams and hope.”[1]  In the face of such disruption, how do we cope? Disruption forces change and a re-imagining of  our work so that we can reorganize to face current challenges and effectively anticipate new ones.  Turmoil can, in fact – and often does – create opportunities for good.  As Archbishop Broglio writes in a piece that appeared in the Washington Post on April 7, 2025, “…It offers every Catholic an opportunity to search our hearts for ways to help in the absence of government support.”[2]

How does this speak to us as volunteers representing our Vincentian organizations to the U.N.?  As resources for our work dry up, our purposeful response is to run in at a fever pitch to reach our fellow brothers and sisters.  It sends us a strong and urgent call to arms – to defend the  rights of ‘the other’ against active hostilities and to renew our efforts tenfold. It requires of us a compassionate response to the needs of the marginalized, the invisible, and the often voiceless as they seek inclusion in society and a place at the table of hope, peace, and resurrection. It requires re-imagining our role in supporting the poor and the immigrant population in their quest for social justice and a means of survival, and doing so with empathy, commitment, and in community.  As we resolve to offer ongoing support for refugees and children of migrant workers in our midst, let’s spread the message of Easter throughout all of our interactions, and keep the spring of renewal erupting in our hearts.

Linda M. Sama, Ph.D.
NGO representative of the International Association of Charities (AIC) to the United Nations

[1] Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News, April 7, 2025 (https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/04/07/catholic-church-ending-refugee-partnership-trump-administration/)

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/07/catholic-bishops-refugee-resettlement-trump-administration/73fe1912-13da-11f0-8c4c-4878d48028c1_story.html