The Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity Vigils

Dear Sisters and Brothers – 

Several weeks ago, in my pastoral letter addressing the plight of migrant sisters and brothers in the US, I invited our faith community to consider the question, “What do you want me to do?” I later suggested three opportunities for direct action, and parishioners provided information the following weekend at all Masses. On March 10, I joined 14 other parishioners and staff at the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HI) vigil at the San Francisco ICE Field Office on Sansome Street. I’d like to share with you below the reflections of two people who participated. (N.B. The authors attended two different shifts.)

From parishioner Mary Jo “MJ” McConnell:

I was expecting a stressful environment when I arrived at 630 Sansome Street. What I saw was a peaceful line of people of multiple ethnic origins opposite a group of mostly white volunteers bearing witness. My pod leader oriented me to the procedures and materials curated by the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. The stole she provided for me to wear felt significant: it identified me as a person of faith and peace but also my “armour” should I need it. 

My first interaction was offering coffee that my pod leader so generously provided, but in an instant I decided that I would look every single person in the eye and wish them “good morning”. I cannot explain how powerful this simple action felt. Then I engaged with a mother and her two young sons. The sons had been given camping stools to sit on, and I handed them toys to play with, silly toys, but a reminder to them and everyone around them that they were children and their innocence needed to be preserved. I conversed with the mother in my very elementary Spanish and she truly appreciated the effort. She shared that learning English was “very difficult for her”, but she was proud that her boys were becoming bi-lingual. I am happy to report that she finished her check-in while I was still there and didn’t need to return until September. I offered some snacks and an embrace. 

I then approached a young couple, sharing the provided yellow “rapid response” cards. They had an attorney meeting them in court to guide them through the process, so their questions were more centered on navigating waiting on the street, to which I responded: “paciencia y fe!” Well the young woman’s face lit up! She instantly recognized the lyric as the title of a song from Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights”. So we talked about musical theatre, “Hamilton” and the genius of Lin Manuel. 

I share these stories and the very humble lesson I learned that day: What’s important, what’s valuable, is simply being human amid an inhumane situation. 

And from Parishioner Dan Sullivan:

When a friend experiences a tragedy, we often angst about having the right thing to say or do; we are then told, “The important thing is your presence, your just showing up.” I thought about this advice last Tuesday when I joined other parishioners outside the immigration processing center at 630 Sansome Street. There was no long line of immigrants waiting outside the building for their check-ins or hearings. A volunteer leader from IM4HI explained to us what we could and could not do. We listened and learned; we walked around the building holding signs; at the end we sang. But mostly, we just stood in silence, witnessing the injustice that immigrants face today. Occasionally there were people coming and going from the building, and others walking or driving by. We had no direct interaction with any of them. I have no idea who, if anyone, I might have affected that morning. But, in one important way that made it better. It forced me to focus on why I was there: not because of an outcome I could point to, but simply because it was the right thing to do. Being present is almost always what matters most.

As MJ and Dan both wrote – in different ways that expressed the same truth – being there was a very human experience, being the Body of Christ.

The need and invitation to join in this ministry of accompaniment continue. If you are interested, the Parish is targeting the second Tuesday of each month, and we would love to have you join us. There are three shifts available: 9:30 am – 11:30 am; 11:30 am – 1:30 pm; and 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm. More information and the links to sign up are in the previous pastoral letter. If you have any questions, you may contact IM4HI at [email protected], or email [email protected] and someone from the Parish Solidarity Ministry will get back to you.

Please keep all who are standing with our migrant sisters and brothers in your prayers as we continue to live out the Gospel in our world today.

Oremus pro invicem. 

Fr. Greg