Migrant Justice

Coming Soon:  Common Grounds—Next Event Jan 11

COMMON GROUNDS: Coffee, Conversation, & Catholic  Social Teaching continues Sunday, January 11 to help us come together prayerfully as Christians, using principles of      Catholic Social Teaching. Fr. Brian Strassburger, S.J.,  Director of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries in southern Texas and Dr. Brett Hoover, professor of pastoral and    practical theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles will come to us virtually covering topics including reality on the U.S.-Mexico border and the dramatic changes over the past year, mass deportation, the “fog” of misinformation, research and current events, Catholic teaching vs. politics, and Catholic Social Teaching. Plenty of time for open discussion and Q&A are planned. Come early at 6:30pm for snacks and a chance to find common threads among us; Program begins at 7:00pm in the Social Hall.

Migrant Justice at Holy Spirit – OUR MISSION
Our mission is to serve and advocate for those forced to flee their homelands, whether termed “refugee,” “immigrant,” “migrant,” or “asylum seeker” trying to make a safe, productive life in our country. As children of Christ and in line with our Catholic Social Teachings, we strive to…

RAISE AWARENESS in our parish and community and grow those committed to serving this population through parish social media, bulletin inserts, narthex information and more.

PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES to learn more about the humanitarian crisis at our border by sharing pertinent websites, articles, event notifications, and hosting informative events.

PROVIDE SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES – Organize service projects that address needs of both border and local immigrant families, raise funds to support ongoing supplies at the border such as water, food, & (baby) items distributed by identified groups.

PROVIDE SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES – Organize service projects that address needs of both border and local immigrant families, raise funds to support ongoing supplies and services at the border by identified groups.

PLANT SEEDS of service and commitment, especially in our parish youth, by working with PREP to provide hygiene kits, letters to children, books, and Rosaries and other projects.

BE GROUNDED in a spiritual journey and prayerful guidance in our work.

SEE OURSELVES AS MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES just as our Lord, Jesus and the Holy Family found themselves.

ARTICLES AND READINGS:

https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/pope-calls-treatment-migrants-us-extremely-disrespectful

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-11/pope-leo-xiv-ukraine-migration-us-nigeria-bishop-zornoza-travels.html

The Catholic Witness- COMMON GROUNDS: Coffee, Conversation, & Catholic Social Teaching series featured in Catholic Witness – Faith, Perseverance, and Perspective: Voices from the Migrant Experience Shared at Palmyra Parish – The Catholic Witness

https://catholicworker.org/pope-leo-dorothy-day-took-a-stand/

DelCamino_Stations-of-the-Cross.pdf – used at Holy Spirit Oct. 5, 2025

RESOURCES

ARTICLES AND READINGS:

WEBSITES,  VIDEOS & PODCASTS TO LEARN MORE:

EVENTS:

  • MJM and KoC thank parishioners who donated to the Winter Coat and Sweatshirt Drive. MJM was able to provide over 40 warm outerwear items to migrant students in our area (November 2025)
  • Over a dozen parishioners participated in the special outdoor Stations of the Cross for World Day of Migrants and Refugees (October 5, 2025)
  • Over 50 attendees were moved by our third COMMON GROUNDS event held Oct. 5 and featured Fr. Allan Wolfe and Jose Castro. The next event is slated for Sunday, January 11, 2026.

3rd annual MJM Backpack Drive (August 2025) again brought out the generosity of our parishioners who provided over 150 backpacks filled with school supplies to needy refugee and migrant children in our area.

Catholic Social Teaching Symposium – Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg