Catholic churches in the Diocese of Stockton will take action on behalf of immigrants hoping for legal status following Masses on Saturday and Sunday.
Parishioners may sign petitions, to be sent to lawmakers who represent members of the diocese: Jerry McNerney, Jeff Denham, Tom McClintock and Paul Cook. They also will be sent to California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, and to President Donald Trump. They are asking for legislation to grant permanent residency status to participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
President Trump signed an executive order Sept. 6 ending Barack Obama’s program that protected young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Some 800,000 young adults who were brought to the United States illegally as children are part of DACA. The program allowed them to remain without fear of immediate removal from the country and gives them the right to work legally.
Pope Francis has spoken on behalf of world immigrants and reacted to Trump’s decision on DACA by questioning how a man of “family values” could destroy families with his actions.
Many church leaders share the pope’s position, including Diocese of Stockton Bishop Stephen Blaire.
“This has been Bishop (Stephen) Blaire’s special area of interest, to make sure marginalized youth have a voice,” said Alexandra Gonzalez of Catholic Charities, which is partnering with the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry Office to circulate the petitions. “Bishop Blaire is very interested in showing the diocese’s support for youth and its support for the Dream Act. He supports a pathway to citizenship.”
The Diocese of Stockton includes San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Alpine and Mono counties, and counts a Catholic population of 298,061 in 35 parishes.
Full story at RecordNet.
From The Office of the Bishop- November 19, 2017:
Bishop Blaire calls upon you to support legislation that will grant permanent residency status to the participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. We stand with Pope Francis who encourages us to build bridges. Please represent the best of who we are as Catholics by signing the petitions that will be provided November 19, 2017 at your local Parish after Sunday Mass. The petitions will then be delivered to your local congressman.
Just think how much Treasure could have gone to Help – had it not been for the Homosex Ephebophile Targeting of Adolescent Boys:
Stockton diocese proposes $15 million for abuse victims
https://www.uniondemocrat.com/localnews/4676825-151/stockton-diocese-proposes-15-million-for-abuse-victims?referrer=carousel10
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton has agreed to pay $15 million to survivors of clergy sexual abuse… as part of a bankruptcy reorganization
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire said – that the abuse crisis over the past 17 years he’s overseen the diocese has been one the “most painful experiences of my life.”
One would think that the Bishop of the Stockton Diocese would have quite a few far higher priorities needing to be addressed and resolved such as getting the Diocese back on its financial feet after having declared bankruptcy due to the millions of dollars in plaintiff awards due to priestly child molestations.
If a program like DACA is going to be ended, in America– it should be ended in a well-thought-out, compassionate, fair, and logical way, to provide sensibly and compassionately, for the needs of children alraedy here– and to give a sensibly-planned date– with a fair warning, to let other countries know, in plenty of time– that the program is ended. American political leaders just need a realistic understanding of the situation, and fairness and compassion– so that everything will work out well. Also, America should continue to extend goodwill to peoples of all nations, and perhaps we could help other countries and their children, in practical ways, too, right in their own borders, in their own cultures.
If I were a Catholic bishop, helping migrants– I would see if I could strengthen and greatly broaden Catholic missionary programs to countries in need, such as in Latin America– and train and send thousands of lay volunteers, as well as priests, brothers and nuns, to establish more Catholic schools, hospitals, and social welfare agencies– and help initiate programs to teach job skills– and provide Church-related places, too, for employment. Also, there are many international businesses, in which you can be locally-employed — (outsourcing) and that includes use of a computer, too, for your job. Additionally– how many vocations to be a priest, brother, or nun, might there be– in foregin lands??
Just his personal political opinion, hope his flock rejects his attempt to virtue shame them.
And by the way bishop, if you are hoping these people will fill your pews and collection baskets, recognize the high rate of those in the DACA age group loose their Catholic faith. Prepare for their “thanks for the help bishop, now adios” moment.
Interesting conflict here: In past years, Bishop Blaire has been very reluctant to support an official state initiative the sought to require that at least one parent be advised in advance if a minor daughter was to have an abortion. Yet, he is now allowing church property to support a manner of prudential decision. Abortion is not a prudential matter. It s a matter of intrinsic evil, yet Bishop Blaire treated it like it is just a casual decision. Outrageous – but not unexpected.
Instead of circulating DACA petitions, how about circulating petitions to shut down Planned Parenthood?
Barbara,
You are SO RIGHT ON!!!
They NEVER speak up against abortion and never speak about Parental Notification that we tried I believe 3 times to get on the ballot here in California!
Parishes should avoid politicizing parish life. There are reasonable positions on both sides of this issue, and to use parish life to promote ideology and specific legislative policies will weaken the spirituality of Catholic life and polarize our faith communities
I wholeheartedly support the Bishop on this issue. People’s lives are at stake. Also, as a person who works in an ag-related industry near Stockton, I know how important migrant labor has been for the industry. These kids have done nothing wrong other than accompanying their parents seeking a better life!
DACA was an unconstitutional abuse of Presidential power by Obama. Revoking it should be a non-issue. That assumes, of course, that (1) people understand the Constitution, (2) people care about upholding the Constitution, (3) people are honest. Of the three, how many bishops can say yes to all of them?