Residents and staff preparing food at El Hogar de MiHermano, Esquipulas, Guatemala

By: Monica Hatcher-Director of Social Concerns

Sisters learned, prayed and were present to the people impacted most by climate change in the first year of the
Laudato Si’ Action Platform

Here are our results for Goal #2 – Cry of the Poor

GOAL: ENHANCE OUR MINISTRIES TO THE POOR, ESPECIALLY IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, & SUPPORT OTHERS WHO SERVE THE SAME

We commit to enhancing existing CCVI ministries to the poor, especially migrants, refugees and others displaced or affected by theclimate crisis and to increasing our support to organizations providing basic needs and services to them

DETAILS:

• Through our ministry of presence and encounter, we will listen to the voices of those impacted by climate change. Encounter and listening may include the following: sharing two or more local news articles about climate-related migration; documenting three or more one-on-one conversations with impacted persons about their experiences of climate change; providing resources or information atleast one time to our clientele about preparedness or resiliency for extreme weather.
• Each ministry will identify and plan at least one simple way to improve programs or services, ideally to migrants and refugees.

Each region will submit at least one organization for Claude Marie or Dubuis grants that serve migrants, refugees or persons affected by the climate crisis. Note: Groups may be international or US-based serving the region. Contact the Social Concerns Ministry for help.
 
EVALUATION:

Central America Region: Dedicating time to pray for them; listened to migrants we encountered in places near our communities; participated in praying the stations of the cross for migrants at the central park in Guatemala City; Some Sisters participated in formation workshops regarding human trafficking and human mobilization.

Ireland Region: Shared articles about migrants and refugees; prayed for migrants and refugees. “We did not have the opportunity towork with migrants and refugees, but our presence with the elderly, especially on the-end-of-life scenario, helped us and the residents toappreciate dignity of life from beginning to end.”

Kenya Region: Prayed for migrants.

U.S. Region: Continue supporting projects that our Sisters sponsor for refugees and migrants, such as, San Jose Apartment, St. Mary’sClinic, Magnificat Houses; Met immigrants at Ruah and at the ministry, for example, at our sponsor clinics, we take time to educate migrants on their health and medical conditions; recommend needs and scholarships as well as dedicated personal time and talents to prepare for and assist with grant committees: Loyola Scholarship, Claude Marie, and Dubuis; contribute to the Sunshine fund or Almsgiving fund to help peoplewith rent, or food pantry; commemorate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 09/25/22; a group of Sisters attended Catholic Advocacy Day in Austin; collaborated with Catholic Charities Legal Assistance as well as donated to Cabrini Center for Legal Services and LaPosada Provedencia; organizations that we recommended for a grant: Tahirih, Bay Area Turning Point, Fundatia Cuvioasa Paraschiva, Sr. Norma Pimentel’s project at the border, Casa de Salud, St. Francis Community Services – Southside Center.

REFLECTION:

How did your work meeting these goals enhance your response to the cry of the poor?

Central America Region: Our ministries are focused on the needs of the poorest (2 houses for students, 2 homes for the elderly, internet service for poor students in El Salvador, the Loyola Scholarship program and parish work).

Ireland Region: Our ministry to the elderly deals with issues of end of life. By our compassionate care and presence we manifest a theology of new creation from death to life in new transformational ways with comfort and consolation to family members and residents, as we serve with gladness.

Kenya Region: We read articles and watched news and other social media platforms about migrants and by so doing, we were in solidarity with their suffering. Although we empathized with them, we were unable to recommend them for grantsbecause of our past negative experiences with grant writing requests.

U.S. Region: We are grateful for the inspiration we received through cooperation and participation. It is humbling and inspiring to see the resilience of the immigrants and refugees we encounter at our sponsored clinics and other ministries. At Casa San Jose we witnessed how eager the immigrants are to learn English and to work, making us more motivated to help them. Hearing stories from refugees from African countries gives us a better perspective on how they are suffering.

Top: Serving migrants at our Casa San José ministry, Houston, TX, USA. Bottom: Sisters in Central America participated in prayers and at a Migrant Stations of the Cross, GuatemalaCity, Guatemala