International Migrants Day (Dec. 18)
- We invite you to read Kathleen Bonnette’s latest piece in Millennial, “Our Immigration System Continually Violates the Rights of Children. Do We Still Care?” and consider what you can do to be in solidarity with migrant families. (Make sure to check out other articles by Sisters, Associates, and staff on the Read All About It page!)
- In “Consequences of a Blonde Mary” (a golden shovel poem after Paola Gonzalez and Karla Guitierrez, “At the wall, US/Mexico Border, Texas 2020”, Kathleen Bonnette reflects on racial representation in the Church in connection with current immigration issues.
Human Trafficking
- The Human Trafficking Committee invites you to join U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking in helping to stop the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children online. With children more frequently online since the onset of COVID-19 in March, incidents of child online exploitation have risen 126% according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
- The EARN IT ACT which seeks to address this egregious crime is gaining bi-partisan support among legislators in both the Senate (S. 3398) and the House of Representatives (H.R. 8454). Click here to take action!
- The Human Trafficking Committee invites you to consider this list of Christmas Gift Ideas in Support of Human Trafficking Prevention.
In case you missed it…
Las Posadas—Dec. 16-24
The Immigration Committee invites you to pray a novena for migrants and refugees during the celebration of Las Posadas (Dec. 16-24). Las Posadas is a Mexican religious tradition that revisits Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem on the first Christmas. Join us in prayer and action to welcome the strangers of our day.
Water
Covid-19 Ecological Alert: Sister Mary Heather writes, “While it is absolutely essential that we wear face masks during this pandemic, masks, gloves, and PPE are polluting the globe with non-biodegradable plastic waste at rates the world has never known. We cannot completely change this ecological nightmare, but we can do something to lessen it: Wear an authorized, safely constructed, three-layer cotton mask whenever possible and avoid wearing single-use disposable masks” whenever possible. Click here to learn more.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe—December 12
The Immigration Committee invites you to view this reflective video in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Hear from some of our Mexican associates, reflect on the meaning of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and spend time in prayerful contemplation.
Advent
• Advent and the Cosmos, by Arlene Flaherty OP
• The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is offering a resource for our Advent journey that focuses on the experience of Black migrants in the U.S.
The series, Lighting the Candles: Journey with Black Migrants, includes seven sessions, one for each of the 4 Weeks of Advent, Christmas, and the feasts of the Holy Family and Epiphany. Each session includes scripture, spiritual reflection and question, a story of Black migrants, suggested actions, and a prayer. Sign up to receive the resources here.
