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Migrant Initiatives

 
Migrant Ministry
 
CATHOLIC PARISHES OF OAK PARK MIGRANT MINISTRY
 
The Catholic Parishes of Oak Park is involved in the outreach to the asylum-seeking migrants who are sleeping on the floor of the Chicago Police Station at 5700 W. Madison.  The situation is difficult, but we can make life a bit easier with donations of food, clothing, shoes, blankets, sheets, pillows, and small hotel-size toiletries.  Suitcases of all sizes are welcome so migrants can keep their belongings together. Donated items need not be new and can be left on the Woznica front porch, 711 S. Elmwood Ave.
 
We welcome migrants every Tuesday and Thursday to the former rectory of St Catherine-St Lucy for a warm breakfast, showers, playtime for the children, donated clothing, and a chance to cook Venezuelan food in the rectory kitchen. It is a wonderful, life-giving break from the police station!

Volunteers are needed to provide breakfast or lunch at the police station, help with Shower Day, and assist with completing the application for Temporary Protected Status. To help provide assistance to the CPOP Migrant Ministry https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eoN6VvMSAKE9jKgbLm7kqBVYmXTle3HtLBqYGYGlzUo/edit
 
We have helped two families find housing and helped them get settled. Our goal is to find housing for other families.
We welcome assistance in finding housing, including contacts with realtors in the area or available low-cost apartments. Catholic Charities will be assisting us with housing costs for families for at least 6 months.
 
Monetary donations are most welcome to support the various ministries below. Please send donations to St Catherine-St Lucy and St Giles Parish, 1025 Columbian Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302. Include a note that the donation is for the “Migrant Fund.”
 
Thank you for your prayers and support of our asylum-seeking brothers and sisters. For more information, contact Celine Woznica or Margie Rudnik at [email protected]
 
 

 
 
 
The Intercultural Immigration Ministry
*adapted from Pastoral Orientations On Intercultural Migrant Ministry
https://migrants-refugees.va/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/POIMM-EN-Legal-stampa-1.pdf
 
 
VISION 
The Intercultural Immigration Ministry is grounded in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions to welcome the stranger in our community and provide accompaniment to our immigrant brothers and sisters fleeing violence, persecution, climate catastrophes, and other life-threatening conditions. 

MISSION 
The Intercultural Immigration Ministry seeks to engage the Catholic community of Ascension-St. Edmund parish to welcome, protect, promote and integrate our immigrant & refugee brothers and sisters, building the Kingdom of God in fraternity and universality creating opportunities to work together towards communion. 
 
Learn about the Goals, their Partners and Initiatives in the document below:
 
Praying at ICE

Rosary at Broadview – in person and Online
Fridays at 7:15 am 

 

The Rosary prayer is conducted every Friday for our immigrant sisters and brothers in detention, deportation and their families is continuing at 7:15 a.m. A prayerful presence prays at ICE location 1930 Beach Street and a larger portion via Zoom. The Rosary is led by Sisters JoAnn Persch, RSM and Pat Murphy, RSM. Please feel free to connect beginning at 7:00 AM. Whenever possible, the online community will be connected and pray together with the group at Broadview.

 

BY VIDEO (note: the same link is used each week):
Click this link to join the Rosary via Zoom video. Or click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83127670921?pwd=aHBRVStiUWxPUWxadjRqQkRXK3A4UT09 (First time Zoom users should visit www.zoom.us to download the Zoom app, open a free account, and to find instructions.)
 
BY PHONE:
Dial 1-312-626-6799 to join the Rosary only by phone.
The Meeting ID is 831 2767 0921 and Meeting Password is 321321321

 

To contact a parishioner involved in this ministry, please reach out to John Owens at [email protected] or 708 846-1827 

 

Every Friday, for over 12 years, one or more Ascension parishioners have gathered with others in prayer outside the ICE Detention Center in Broadview.  Our prayer is always for a more compassionate federal immigration policy.  

Follow this link to a Chicago Catholic article about a national training for immigrant ministry, which included praying with the "regulars" at ICE Broadview detention center.