Donald Trump and maga Republicans must allow Pastoral clergy to give Roman Catholic Sacraments to migrants in ICE prisons
BREAKING: In response to ICE's refusal to allow detained migrants to receive the Eucharist, Pope Leo XIV calls on Donald Trump and JD Vance to respect the dignity and religious liberty of migrants in the United States. “The authorities must allow pastoral workers to assist with the needs of these people. Many times they have been separated from their families and no one knows what happens,” said Pope Leo.
Echo essay published in the Daily Beast by Michael Daley
How This 91-Year-Old Nun’s Battle With ICE Shamed ‘Catholic’ JD Vance
One timely and lively example for him to follow would be Sister JoAnn Persch, a 91-year-old nun who has been regularly visiting the Broadview ICE facility in suburban Chicago for two decades.
As reported by the Substack “Letters From Leo” by Christopher Hale, a White House spokesman responded to a request for comment by saying, “The pope doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Vance reached out to Hale on X, asking, “Hey Chris, which WH spokesperson gave you this comment❓”
But, Vance maintained a less-than-holy silence about ICE preventing detainees from receiving Holy communion.
An Eucharistic procession to the Broadview ICE center in Illinois, advocating for religious access for detained migrants.
As he presses his wife, Usha Vance, to convert from her native Hinduism, Vice President JD Vance might try better adhering to his newly adopted faith.
One timely and lively example for him to follow would be Sister JoAnn Persch, a 91-year-old nun who has been regularly visiting the Broadview ICE facility in suburban Chicago for two decades.
She was among 2,000 of the faithful who gathered for Mass at a makeshift altar across from the facility on November 1.
“All Saints Day on November 1 is a sacred feast day in the Catholic tradition and we wish to include them in a religious service by offering them holy communion on this day,” her group had noted in a written request that ICE said it required at least a week beforehand. “We will be gathering that day for an outdoor Catholic Mass 🕇🕈and our request is for a small delegation of eight religious ministers to provide Holy Communion during the Mass while our gathering remains outside of the ICE facility in peaceful prayer.”
When time at the Mass for communion, Persch and Chicago Auxiliary Bishop José María Garcia-Maldonado and six others carried the Host the 100 yards from the altar to a checkpoint the Illinois State Police established outside the ICE building. An officer relayed by telephone the group’s request to come in. ICE denied them entrance for safety reasons.
“Now, I want to know whose safety?” Persch later told the Daily Beast. “Are we going to attack the immigrants? Are they going to attack me? I don’t think so.”
She noted that she had been visiting ICE prisoners in local jails for years and nobody had tried to harm her. That left only the ICE agents.
“Do they think coming with the Blessed Sacrament of the Catholic Church that we were going to attack them” she asked.
“All Saints Day on November 1 is a sacred feast day in the Catholic tradition and we wish to include them in a religious service by offering them holy communion on this day,” her group had noted in a written request that ICE said it required at least a week beforehand. “We will be gathering that day for an outdoor Catholic Mass 🕇🕈and our request is for a small delegation of eight religious ministers to provide Holy Communion during the Mass while our gathering remains outside of the ICE facility in peaceful prayer.”
When time at the Mass for communion, Persch and Chicago Auxiliary Bishop José María Garcia-Maldonado and six others carried the Host the 100 yards from the altar to a checkpoint the Illinois State Police established outside the ICE building. An officer relayed by telephone the group’s request to come in. ICE denied them entrance for safety reasons.
“Now, I want to know whose safety?” Persch later told the Daily Beast. “Are we going to attack the immigrants? Are they going to attack me? I don’t think so.”
She noted that she had been visiting ICE prisoners in local jails for years and nobody had tried to harm her. That left only the ICE agents.
“Do they think coming with the Blessed Sacrament of the Catholic Church that we were going to attack them” she asked.
Persch walked back to the gathering and asked them to remain silent after she announced ICE’s decision, no matter how they felt.
She stood before the faithful and made the anticipatory request for silence. She then reported what might have been expected to trigger boos and angry shouts.
”The answer was ‘no’.”
The response surprised her. It was a testament to the power of moral authority possessed by someone who actively lives the gospel every day, as taught by the Roman Catholic Church that Vance says he embraces.
“I was amazed, 2,000 people, it was dead silent.” Persch told The Daily Beast. “There were tears, but for several minutes, they were so respectful of that moment, which was a very sacred moment.”
Should Persch ever be a candidate for sainthood, the total hush could go down as a possible miracle.
After that remarkable moment of silence among those gathered for an outdoor Mass in Broadview came a challenge to the faithful everywhere to speak out. Pope Leo XIV reacted by citing a principle by which Persch and other true Catholics guide their lives.
“Jesus says very clearly at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, ‘How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?’” the pontiff told the press. “Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now… Many times they have been separated from their families and no one knows what happens…I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people.”
She stood before the faithful and made the anticipatory request for silence. She then reported what might have been expected to trigger boos and angry shouts.
”The answer was ‘no’.”
The response surprised her. It was a testament to the power of moral authority possessed by someone who actively lives the gospel every day, as taught by the Roman Catholic Church that Vance says he embraces.
“I was amazed, 2,000 people, it was dead silent.” Persch told The Daily Beast. “There were tears, but for several minutes, they were so respectful of that moment, which was a very sacred moment.”
Should Persch ever be a candidate for sainthood, the total hush could go down as a possible miracle.
After that remarkable moment of silence among those gathered for an outdoor Mass in Broadview came a challenge to the faithful everywhere to speak out. Pope Leo XIV reacted by citing a principle by which Persch and other true Catholics guide their lives.
“Jesus says very clearly at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, ‘How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?’” the pontiff told the press. “Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now… Many times they have been separated from their families and no one knows what happens…I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people.”
As reported by the Substack “Letters From Leo” by Christopher Hale, a White House spokesman responded to a request for comment by saying, “The pope doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Vance reached out to Hale on X, asking, “Hey Chris, which WH spokesperson gave you this comment❓”
Labels: Broadview, Daily Beast, Illinois, JD Vance, Michael Daley, Pope Leo XIV, Sister JoAn Persch, Usha Vance
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