Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino and six other California bishops celebrated Mass for about 300 detainees Dec. 10 at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center outside Los Angeles.
The bishops celebrated the outdoor Mass on a basketball court inside the men’s section of the facility, NPR-affiliate KVCR reported. The outlet said that several detainees asked the bishops to bless Bibles and rosaries.
The visit was organized by the California Catholic Conference, which is the “official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in California,” according to its website.
The Desert Sun identified the attending bishops as Bishop Rojas; Bishop Oscar Cantú from the Diocese of San José; and Bishop Rey Barsabal from the Diocese of Sacramento. Also in attendance were Bishop Brian Nunes, Bishop Matt Elshoff, and Bishop Marc Trudeau from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The Diocese of San Bernardino shared images from the Mass on X, stating that Bishop Rojas told the detainees at the start of Mass: “‘You are not alone. We support you and we pray for you.’”
Following the Mass, the bishops held a press conference at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Adelanto.
“We want those in detention to know they are not forgotten. The Church walks with them in their uncertainty,” Bishop Rojas said, according to a separate Desert Sun report.
Bishop Rojas criticized ongoing immigration enforcement operations, saying “the tactics they’re using are not humane.” Bishop Cantú said the bishops’ hope “is that every center handling people in detention treats them with dignity and allows us to minister to them,” KVCR reported.
KVCR added that the California Catholic Conference said bishops plan to visit additional detention centers in 2026 and continue seeking access to facilities in California.
From Catholic Vote
The sooner they leave the better. I’m talking about the bishops.
I don’t know if the bishops are right or wrong. But, specifically, what is “inhumane” in the way those detainees are treated?
It would be helpful to know. Of course, no one should be treated inhumanely.
Good question. Bishops are using “inhumane” the same way Democrats use the word “racist” — to shut down argument.
Bishop Cantu is right to decry inhumane treatment of anyone, So, please, Bishop Cantu, fire the abortion promoting president of Archbishop Mitty High School. Violently dismembering babies in their mothers’ wombs is more inhumane than what happens at ICE detention centers. The dignity of all human persons demands that.
Good for you!
The president of that school was a DEI hire. That woman’s job is more secure than anybody’s.
To anonymous in San Jose December 14, 2025 at 7:28 pm: You correctly point out the selective indignation of our bishops. One might add to this selectivity their silence and/or approval of Biden’s failure to enforce our immigration laws and his open borders tendency. So why this concern and obvious challenge to Trump? Could it be the drying up of the vast monies granted the bishops under Biden ? And why is the president of Walter Mitty certain of job security? Because abortion touches upon sexuality, and the bishops are hopelessly compromised in this area due to the abuse scandal and (possibly) the existence of homosexual prelates in favor of violating the Natural Law.
Why is San Jose being spelled with an acute accent? This is a rather recent, and rather silly, affectation.
Affectation, simply. To be followed by “we stand in solidarity with the tilde”.
It is to show how the names “Cantu” and “San Jose” are accented, so the names are pronounced as correctly as possible. Many people called, and still do call, Bishop Mc Gath’s name the way it is spelled and would be pronounced in English, when the Irish name is really pronounced “Mc Graw”. As with everybody who tries to speak another language, sometimes I pronounce words correctly and sometimes not. We are all in the same boat concerning that and should not make fun of anyone else, at least not openly.
A missed opportunity to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the only name in heaven or on earth by which man can be saved, that He suffered an ignominious death to save us. Bishops, get out of the comfort zone and virtue signaling of politics all year long, and teach us about Jesus and His promise of salvation from sin for goodness, from death to eternal life, and for communion with Him and with one another. People will come to the church if you do, and those already here will stay.
Again, I wonder which grinch is doing all the down-voting?
Down-vote this comment if you think jon sucks.
Vatican II sinner, you’re better than that. Name calling doesn’t help. It’s easy to anonymously verbally abuse someone on the internet. Do you want to try to persuade jon or anyone? If not, what’s your point?
Has jon posted in a while? Maybe he’s sick. Praying for him would be a better response.
Loving our neighbors, even those with whom we disagree, is a command of our Lord.
All of us sinners will stand, or fall, before Christ on judgement day and be accountable for every word of ours. Thankfully, He is merciful; to you, me and jon.
What name did I call jon?
Vatican II sinner, are you trying to be cute? It’s not. “…if you think jon sucks.” What is the point of using that term in reference to another reader/poster here? Saying someone “sucks” isn’t appropriate. I’m sure you can be kinder (not “nicer”) and have more adult words in your vocabulary.
It is unfortunate that misunderstandings and conflicts often take place on Catholic websites.
I for my part have tried to uphold the guidance that is in section 2478 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I have patiently asked for clarification of my neighbor’s remarks. I did not receive the clarification that I asked for. I have received more under the table accusations that use the cowardly language of implications. I would appreciate direct statements of particular acts of wrongdoing on my part if one wants to be man enough to charge me with something. If one wants to charge me with something, one should also be man enough to prove it.
During the life of Jesus, he asked his Disciples who men say that he is. His Disciples gave him various beliefs about who others thought that Jesus is. This is not the same thing as Jesus telling his Disciples who he is. I asked if others approve or disapprove of jon. I did not make any particular claims about jon. I dare my interlocutor to prove that I made any particular claims about jon.
If my interlocutor did not approve of my choice of language, my interlocutor should have clearly and directly stated an objection to my language, like a man. Giving a sanctimonious speech about name calling is not only misleading, but also fails to address the issue that my interlocutor is bothered about. Too many comment sections are filled with glorious speeches that create the impression of some else’s wrongdoing that fail to make any specific charges that can be proven or disproved.
I wish that Catholics would try to uphold Catholic teaching with regards to communications. That would make things easier for the editors of Catholic websites.
The only one posting here like a man is Fr. John. You and I both are hiding behind anonymity.
Saying “jon sucks” is not a sign of mature disagreement. I won’t defend jon’s positions, but he is still a human made in the image of God and worthy of some respect. And, that is what Jesus and the Catholic Church teach.
OK, I meant to say Fr. Richard. Fr. John is another priest who posts here using his real name.
What you do here, “Ima Synner II”, is quite fabulous. I have challenged you to be man enough to prove that I said that jon sucks. I was away from here several weeks. After coming back, I see you quoting only two of my words (wow only two words) and seriously taking them out of context in order to fabricate a fake meaning for my words.
You have demonstrated a great mastery of a literary form that is colloquially known as “trolling”. I see that you are very well studied and very well practiced in that literary from. You have been doing some very serious beast mode “trolling” here. You have proven yourself to be quite an expert in distorting someone else’s words. I believe that you should be inducted into this website’s hall of fame for trolls. I am very impressed with your high skill level.
I see no point in telling you that lying is a sin and that you can obtain forgiveness for that sin through the sacrament of confession. I am sure that you will not listen. What do you have to gain if you troll the whole world and loose your soul?
That picture shows a dying church
These COVID-Karen bishops suddenly caring about access to Mass only when they use it as some kind of political weapon is rich, Bishop Cantu especially did nothing when Santa Clara County abused his parishioners constitutional rights, even after the Supreme Court decisions, useless performative Queens
Very good point. THey are politically posturing. They couldn’t care less about access to the Mass when the government shut religious meetings down. Now they use the Eucharist as a weapon, another thing they have decried.