Grim developments on the southern border and the “frustrating” lack of immigration reform were on the minds of some 1,500 Southern California Catholics at the annual Mass in Recognition of All Immigrants Sept. 17 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Grim developments on the southern border and the “frustrating” lack of immigration reform were on the minds of some 1,500 Southern California Catholics at the annual Mass in Recognition of All Immigrants Sept. 17 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
“This has been another frustrating summer, part of another frustrating year for all of us who hope for immigration reform,” said Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez in his homily. “People are being sent from the border all over the country. There is no plan for them to be welcome. No plan for them to be served. We are all working together to welcome them and provide for their needs. But our leaders seem to be standing by instead of coming together and working to fix our broken immigration system.”
Archbishop Gomez celebrated the Mass along with Cardinal Roger Mahony, bishop-elects Brian Nunes and Slawomir Szkredka, several priests, and an estimated 1,500 faithful from dioceses and groups all over Southern California.
Despite the air of frustration, the event praised all those working to assist immigrants in need, especially the LA Welcomes Collective, which has been at the forefront of the recent busing of migrants. The collective — consisting of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Central American Resource Center-Los Angeles, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, and Immigrant Defenders Law Center — has sprung into action to support and care for the hundreds of migrants that have been sent in buses from Texas to Los Angeles since early June.
Also honored during the Mass were leaders, volunteers and parishioners at St. Anthony’s Croatian Church, St. Peter’s Italian Church, Cathedral High School and Salesian High School for their efforts in receiving the migrants, offering them care and assisting with resources. Young adults at American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach were recognized for their service in accompanying and supporting immigrant minors….
From Angelus News
Watch Archbishop Gomez’s homily here.
The immigration system is broken because the national government wants it so.
The national government is 2,000,000 people. Could you narrow that down a little?
The Mahony , great choice , not like he cost the archdiocese money , souls , and reputation , this is the same Mahony who transferred priests accused of abusing the children of that community so as to avoid prosecution. He exploited the immigration status of those children so that they were denied justice , I believe this site has covered this in detail.
It’s true we need to rationally welcome immigrants. I just wish someone would ask why people are leaving their homes in South America and agitate for change in that arena as well. The US Church is doing a lot for South American nationals by challenging the government. How is the Latin American Church challenging their governments?
Freebies from Democrats at taxpayer expense is drawing people here.
They didn’t say the word “illegal” regarding the immigration that is taking place. Therefore, they are not to be taken seriously.
It’s pathetic that Gomez has turned the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass into a political stage for leftist ideas.
By your way of thinking, the Last Supper was a political stage for leftist ideas.
I don’t recall Jesus promoting illegal immigration at the Last Supper. Perhaps you can educate me by referring me to the pertinent Gospel passage?
When did we see you? When did we feed you? Whenever your fed the least of these…
Seriously get to know the gospels.
That’s not an endorsement of illegal immigration. The Church teaches that immigrants are morally bound to respect the laws of countries they immigrate to. Seriously, get to know the Catechism.
In order to promote one’s own agenda, it is necessary to break a system by ignoring the established rule and law, thus allowing and fomenting chaos, complaining that the system is broken, and then offering the fix that the promoter has wanted all along. This is how it is done in government, church, education.
That now also includes allowing John Fetterman to preside over the Senate wearing gym clothes.
Yet another example of lowlife Democrats lowering standards. Besides not having truth or goodness, they have no class.
The needlessly “pro-immigrant no matter what” attitude from many of our bishops is ironically the cause of the fall of so many Hispanics and others into the pit of Protestantism, atheism, and even revived paganism. This is how you end up with Mexicans voting for gay rights in Southern California, or “Chicanx” drag queens. We need not be surprised when we find that the lawyers for Catholic Immigration Services are not Catholics, let alone Christian!
It does not seem that their view of immigration reform has anything to do with securing the border.
The immigration system isn’t broken. If the laws were all followed and enforced, and if the border were secure, which is part of the law, there would be no immigration problem. What’s broken is the resolve of Democrats to enforce immigration law.
The immigration system is broken. Does anyone deny that?
The question is, what is the solution to the problem?
What does Cardinal Mahoney think and why is he even involved in this?
Have all forgotten that Cesar Chavez, a truly devout Catholic and champion for migrant farm workers, strongly opposed illegal immigration?
Let’s have a system that provides for safe, fair, orderly entry into our nation and that stops human traffickers, drug traffickers, career criminals, gang members and terrorists.
What is broken about the immigration system?
I think it is overwhelmed.
Illegal entry is not immigration.
Biden administration officials have been cutting holes in the razor wire on the border to allow illegals to enter.
The Dixie Chicks got “Shut Up and Sing.”
LeBro James got “Shut Up and Dribble.”
Gomez should get “Shut Up and Say Mass,” but he’s perverted even that to foolish partisan ends.
“Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18). These words of the Apostle John voice an imperative that no Christian may disregard.” Pope Francis, First World Day of the Poor
Last Sunday’s readings taught us that we cannot enter through the narrow door if we hate and do not love. Our nation will be a failed state if we keep hating people who disagree with us. Aren’t we supposed to love even our enemy? Aren’t we supposed to be welcoming the stranger? Aren’t we supposed to feed the hungry? Which person would Jesus teach us to hate? Surely the immigrant seeking asylum from drug cartels, from brutal governments, from …
Do you advertise, “Hey, if you’re homeless you can stay at my place? Just show up, and I’ll take care of you.”
If not, you’re an unloving unchristian bigot.
Get my point?
Since Biden took office over 3MM illegals have come into this country the majority being military age men, with absolutely no vetting or background checks. You mentioned the cartels because of the idiotic policies of our globalist masters the cartels are in nearly complete control of our southern border. This of course means nothing to people like Bob One, what matters is diversity. Here is what diversity did for my neighboring village. Migrants were housed in local motels when they began to wander into village demanding jobs and money, a woman was assaulted as well. This is what needs to happen. The military needs to seal the border and not another person enters, no more compromises on playing on our heart strings. Then a mass deportation effort needs to happen round them up send them back. We are witnessing the death a great country sponsored by leftists who base their policy on self hatred and detesting their own country and culture. May they face justice swift and brutal.
Bob One — I agree in principle, but don’t mistake kindness for weakness. If you watch the news you’ll see that the migrants are overwhelmingly young, able-bodied men. Where are their women? Would decent men leave behind their mothers, wives, sisters and children to deal with the brutal governments and cartels, while they themselves escape? No. They’re con artists who see us as pushovers.
Yhis is not about hate; it is about economics and force, economics in the form of handouts and social support in services like medical care, we are short in money and personnel for these and other services. Force in that we are being forced to pay with our taxes for those entering illegally, services like schools are being forced to accept the influx, when they and most of our social services are already overwhelmed. Your misuse of selected scripture to support your poor arguments and analysis shows your emotionalism overriding reason.
The clergy don’t get it. The more they turn the Church into a leftist social service agency, the more they stray from worship and doctrine, the more Catholics will stay away from Mass.
September 17 was the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Not “Recognition of All Immigrants Sunday.”
Stick to the liturgical calendar. Gomez does not have the right to add anything to the sacred liturgy. He doesn’t have the right to turn the Mass into a propaganda vehicle for his favored causes anymore than gays have the right to have LGBT Masses.
The cathedral can seat about 3,000 people. They only got about 1,500 (probably exaggerating for the article), and a good number of those were participants in the elaborate procession, carrying their banners, as shown in the picture.
You can watch a video of the Mass here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/-20sQNpOH7c?si=sEGl2eqCBQWMot98
The entrance procession takes ten minutes. Ten minutes! Because they had so many people in the procession unnecessarily. If those people hadn’t been there, the Mass would have had only about 500 people in the pews.
Then there are another ten minutes of speeches about immigration.
Then another entrance procession for the clergy that lasts seven minutes.
The music is especially bad. Embarrassingly bad. This is one of the most important sees in the United States? Laughably bad liturgy.
It was a flop. The Church is dying. Masses like this are part of the reason why.
Thanks for the link to the Mass.
“The clergy don’t get it.” Some don’t and some do. Same with the lay faithful.
A cathedral in a city as large as LA and in the capital of the performing arts should be able to have a music department that sets the tone for the rest of the country. I agree, the music was less than acceptable for any Mass in that great worship center. They can and must do better.
So have they not ?.
No, they have not.
Anybody remember the 1980’s when the Simpson/Mazzoli bill was going to definitively solve all immigration problems????
Yeah; me too.
Roger Mahony is an example of Jose Gomez’s early-on failure. Gomez’s stand on illegal immigration is an even greater failure.