Archbishop Vigneron Know that we stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Juan Diego with a Mass at 7 p.m. this evening at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and prepares for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe two saints of special significance for those from Mexico and Central America. On this occasion, and in concert with the U.S. Bishops emphasizing the Church's solidarity with families of immigrants, Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron issued the following statement:

"The responsibility of governing our nation rests with our elected officials. This special privilege and honor is a solemn duty which they hold. While this duty necessarily includes protecting our national borders and enforcing laws, it cannot end there. It must include ensuring the dignity of the human person, the protection of families, and a generosity commensurate with the blessings our nation has received. Therefore, our immigration system must treat migrants and refugees with the same dignity as native-born citizens. It must recognize the fundamental wrong of separating families, particularly when children are involved. And it must not be blind to the rich contribution made in the past and in the present by men and women who have come to this country as migrants or refugees.

"As disciples of Jesus Christ and sons and daughters of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our local Church bears our Lady's message of hope to the needy and listens to the cry of the afraid. Under her protection, know that we stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters."

The full statement is available here on the Archdiocese of Detroit website.