“All nations will be assembled before him” (Mt. 25:31-32)

As the political debate about immigration rages around us, we must remember that to welcome the stranger is to welcome Christ. This must be our premise in formulating any opinion about immigration. When we look closely into the face of the migrant, immigrant, and refugee, we will see the face of Christ looking back at us. The USCCB states, as Catholics we are “to welcome the newcomers in [our] neighborhoods and schools, in [our] places of work and worship, with heartfelt hospitality, openness, and eagerness both to help and learn from our brothers and sisters of whatever religion, ethnicity, or background.” Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops.

Recently, USCCB has stated their support for the “Dream Act”. We invite you to participate in “Pray for the DREAM” Sunday on September 25^th, which is being promoted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants (JFI) Campaign, in support of immigrant students and youth that are eligible for the DREAM Act. As many of you know, the DREAM Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for young people who came to the US with their parents. It is the hope of the JFI campaign that parishes across the country will plan events and/or connect their Masses, prayers and homilies to continue the call in support of the DREAM Act.

We aspire to put a human face on an otherwise political issues through personal stories and testimonies, to educate parishioners about this critical issue. It is important to ensure that our Catholic values are an essential component of the on-going national dialogue concerning innocent and hard working youth that are eligible for the DREAM Act. We are a country of immigrants seeking a way of life that is supported by our longstanding Catholic traditions and highlighted in our U.S. Constitution.

In that light, I ask for your help in making our “Pray for the DREAM” Sunday on September 25, 2011 a success, so that we can help raise awareness about the DREAM Act and the Justice for Immigrants Campaign. The involvement of the faithful is essential for the success of this endeavor and this initiative would be a valuable tool in the process of inviting your faith community to understand, embrace and live out the Gospel.

Please go to www.justiceforimmigrants.org to find more information about the DREAM Act and to send an electronic postcard asking the President to protect vulnerable populations, including DREAM Act eligible youth and the parents of citizen children, from deportation.