Come to a Catholic call to faithful action in uncertain times! At this event we'll explore questions such as: How does the Catholic Church call us to welcome and walk with our immigrant brothers and sisters? How do we apply that teaching in our own lives? At this event, Ana Grande, PhD, will guide us to discern our response to our call to faithful action through reflection and conversation using the Cardijn method. The Cardijn method, developed by the late Cardinal Joseph Cardijn and expanded by liberation theologians, invites us to see the local realities and challenges, reflect on our observations through the lens of Scripture and Catholic teachings, and act to address the needs we have observed. This framework has greatly informed Ana Grande's experience as a leader and organizer in Los Angeles, and she will use it to lead us in reflection and a discussion of how we can walk with and protect our immigrant communities during these uncertain times.

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for the past 6 years, I have had the privilege of being a consistent presence in a remarkable young man’s life as he navigated the complexities of the foster care system. Through moves across two counties, multiple foster placements, and five different schools, I witnessed firsthand the instability that so many youth in foster care face – cycling through numerous social workers, lawyers, and therapists. While each professional played an important role, the frequent turnover made it difficult to establish deep, trusting relationships. CASA volunteers become the thread of continuity, the person who knows the whole story and remains by their side.

Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class and political and regional identity.