After being present for a recent Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity jubilee celebration, Bishop Gerald Kicanas, Bishop of the Diocese of Tucson, was invited for an evening conversation on Immigration. He shared from his own experience shepherding the people of God in a state close to the Mexican border. His experiences in Catholic Relief Services also prove that the world is on the move. The U.S. is not the only place experiencing immigration. Every country is dealing with this reality.
The U.S. is witnessing the results of a drug war and intensifying gang control: child refugees. The number of unaccompanied children fleeing their home countries has alarmingly increased – numbers arriving to the U.S. have doubled every year since 2011, creating what Pope Francis has described as a “humanitarian emergency.”
Increasing despair has led many families, youth and children to the inevitable conclusion that they have no choice but to flee. They are primarily fleeing violence. They aren’t just coming to the United States; in fact, other Central American countries have experienced a sharp increase in asylum claims in recent years as well.
Anyone desiring to keep informed on how the Catholic Church is addressing this modern day challenge was suggested to watch for action alerts on the Justice for Immigrants USCCB website. Catholic Relief Services also serves as a credible resource for up-dated information and action-based results.