Immigrants have worshipped at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church since it opened its doors more than 100 years ago in San Diego, starting with exiles fleeing the Mexican Revolution.
Through the decades, the church became the traditional, Spanish-language hub for generations of Mexican families and their descendants.
Today, some 2,000 to 2,500 faithful attend Mass there on Sundays — young couples, families with children, older adults and seniors.
A massive federal crackdown on undocumented immigrants has left many community members deeply fearful and isolated, said Jesuit Father Scott Santarosa, who leads the parish.
“Many parishioners feel very vulnerable,” he said. “They need help. It was a little cruel to tell them, ‘Go find it.’ That’s how the idea was born to serve community members, to meet their needs, all under the church’s roof.”
The parish will inaugurate the Pope Francis Center on Feb. 1 to assist migrants struggling amid the deportation campaign, particularly with legal and mental health issues.
The center will be open to all who need help, Catholic or not. And the services will be free, except those requiring application fees and court representation.
The pastor said that the center is entirely funded by donations.
The center occupies an old brick building that once housed a convent, a dormitory for priests, and most recently was home to Casa Misericordia, which provided assistance to migrants. Volunteers helped remodel the building to prepare it for its newest mission.
The facility is named after the first Jesuit pope and the first one from Latin America, the late Pope Francis, who made defense of immigrants one of the hallmarks of his pontificate.
“Do you know the Pope Francis Center?” Father Santarosa asked parishioners after a recent Sunday Mass, inviting them to walk down the street and take a look.
Brinkley Johnson, the center’s founding manager, welcomed visitors and showed them the two-story facility located at 745 Beardsley St. The center includes waiting areas, small consultation rooms, a classroom, a space for workshops, a room for childcare, and a chapel.
The center has been informally open for about three months. In an interview in late January, Johnson said that the center had helped about 30 men and women, more than half of them parents.
She was struck by their fear. One family sought help to move because they believed that ICE had identified their address, and feared what was to come.
Another client, a woman, told her that she had been abused by her boss and also by her partner. She didn’t want to leave the partner, fearing that she would risk her immigration status.
“My heart hurts knowing that this is the reality of immigration today, the reality vulnerable people face,” she said, adding that the woman was referred to a legal organization that specialized in those types of crimes.
Father Santarosa said that, when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the hungry, he taught his Church to help those who are suffering.
“We should meet the current, real needs of the people,” he said, recalling how Pope Francis used to say that the Church should operate like a field hospital after battle, healing wounds, warming hearts and offering mercy to those hurting.
“We always need to remember that God is with us. We should not forget that in tough times,” Father Santarosa said.
The pastor said he does not know how many of his parishioners have been affected directly by deportation. However, he does know of two cases: a father who could not attend his son’s wedding because he was deported and a woman who self-deported after her husband was expelled to Mexico.
Two center staff members associated with the American Bar Association’s Immigration Justice Project will be assisting with legal matters. The center also is collaborating with Catholic Charities and other nonprofit organizations.
Johnson said she hopes the center inspires parishes “to respond to this moment that we’re facing.”
“This center is a direct expression of our Catholic faith,” she said. “It is living out the teachings of Pope Francis and Catholic Social Teaching, which calls for works of mercy. We hope that others will be similarly inspired to put their faith into action.”
The pastor acknowledged that his church and the center face a danger of drawing ICE agents to their doors.
“But we’re not going to stop serving the People of God. I hope the agents do not come around. I hope they see the center as part of our church. But who knows?”
From the Southern Cross
This is a great parish.
The have the only Spanish-speaking Catholic LGBTQ ministry in San Diego. (Its name drew inspiration from James Martin, S.J.’s book Building a Bridge.) The Jesuits there say that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Are they really that radically inclusive? What about persons who voted for Trump, Border Patrol agents, Republicans and some others? Aren’t there some limits? We have to understand who “they” are and who “we” are. Otherwise, it’s difficult to keep people agitated, angry and in each others’ faces all the time. Marxist ideology requires that we have people against whom we should struggle and war. Otherwise it won’t work. We might simply fall into peaceful, respectful coexistence.
What happened to Fake Catholics for Newsom?
In my book, you make yourself a “they” by lawbreaking. Break the just laws of the land? You’re a “they”. Claim to belong to my Church while denying its teachings in word and practice (like the “gay” lifestyle)? You’ve become a “they”. It has nothing to do with what you are, but with what you’ve willfully done. And once you repent, you’re “us” again.
Sinner, we’re still here. We just don’t always have time for right wing bigots. We’re busy helping elect Guv Gav the Great. He’ll be the greatest president in US history. In the primaries, he’ll cruise past Word Salad Harris, AOC and Peter Buttigieg. (I mean, really, how many gays are there in the country?) The real danger lies in that Josh Shapiro. He actually sounds sane and people might fall for that. But, since he doesn’t support Hamas, I think Gav will get past him. Gotta get back to work. There are thousands of us worker bees pedaling bicycles in the wine caves under his vineyards just to keep the lights on in the Golden State. We get to stop in November of 2026, after Gav crushes the Hillbilly, the former VP, that Southern governor or anyone else those mean Republicans run. If you want to get on the right side of history, it’s never too late to change your political party or gender.
To Fake Catholics for Newsom:
Yes, I understand. The more you support Hamas, the better. Open borders will be very helpful there.
Fake Catholics for Newsom, I am not trying to trip you up or ask you gotcha questions. I am just trying to understand.
How do you reconcile your support for Hamas with Hamas’s violent objection to Newsom’s sexual disorientation? If Hamas was allowed to cross our southern border and purchase property right next to where Newsom lives, Newsom would be in serious trouble. If the unthinkable happened, would you support jon’s scolding of everyone here and demanding that they should oppose the death penalty for Hamas?
Sinner, easy question. Contradictory things can be compatible, as long as they’re leftist. Reason is a construct of White privilege and European colonialism. And, a few of those gay Greek guys. How else could we advocate for social justice and ignore babies and old people (who should just die and remove their carbon footprints)? Or, how could we advocate for open borders while children are being enslaved and trafficked into our country? How could we argue against nuclear power while keeping the San Onofre power plant going long enourgh to get Emperor Newsom elected President? Disregard those antiquated concepts of logic and reason. (They’re pre-Vatican II.) And, forget what the Church actually teaches. Go with the spirit of Vatican III. Follow your leaders, like Cardinals McElroy and Cupich and James Martin. Our next president will be another progressive Catholic, like the great Joe Biden was. Not one of those fake Catholics like Vance, Rubio or DeSantis.
Deport all illegals in this country. Enforce the law. Even President Obama said that illegals should be deported, not given amnesty out of false and unjust compassion.
And, the truly devout Catholic civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez. Chavez was for a secure border and deporting those who came here illegally. He realized illegal border crossings were not helpful. (It was Dolores Huerta who took the United Farmworkers in its Marxist, pro-abortion direction.) Ronald Reagan made a deal with Tip O’Neill, Democrat House Speaker. Reagan was to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants in return for the Democrats agreeing to secure the border. So, in 1986, President Reagan granted amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants, only to see the Democrats had lied and had no intention of securing the border. And, of course, deportations of illegal immigrants occurred under JFK, LBJ, Carter, Clinton and Biden. Why no uproar at those times?
That’s a rhetorical question. They didn’t have “R” after their names.
What everybody leaves out is If you do not have a criminal record there is nothing to fear. Unfortunately Spanish speaking television news station are controlled by communist Marxist who instill fear in Spanish speaking people all day everyday. Thats straight out of Karl Marx’s playbook.
Time to speak the truth and stop making millions of dollars off the people who are purposely manipulated into fear. By everyone who profits off their backs, including clergy in the Catholic Church.