In response to requests from Dreamers for a demonstration of additional support from Catholic leaders, a group of Catholic social justice organizations with offices in Washington, D.C. have organized a Catholic Day of Action with Dreamers at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, February 27 starting at 10:30 a.m.
Read the PDF version of our press statement
Click here to follow the event as it happens
Read statements of support from Catholic Bishops
More than 200 people are expected to join in prayer in the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Building, followed by an act of nonviolence civil disobedience by a group of about 25 people representing the following organizations:
PICO National Network
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Faith in Public Life
Franciscan Action Network
Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology
Ignatian Solidarity Network
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Little Friends for Peace
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Pax Christi International
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
The Stuart Center of the Society of the Sacred Heart
Prayer to prepare for nonviolent civil disobedience
To prepare for an act of nonviolent civil disobedience, members of the above named Catholic organizations have prayed together using the following prayer:
God, as we prepare our minds and hearts to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience, we remember the Hebrew midwives who disobeyed Pharoah’s orders and thus saved the life of Moses. We remember Jesus, who was criticized for healing on the Sabbath, who allowed his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath when they were hungry, who always placed Your law of compassionate love above human laws. We remember the long line of women and men who sat down, crossed lines, broke in—participating in acts of civil disobedience which were acts of gospel obedience.
May our nonviolent resistance bring attention not to ourselves but to the young immigrant Dreamers on whose behalf we are willing to be arrested. We pray for these thousands of Dreamers and their families. We pray for legislators who hold the fate of Dreamers in their hands. We pray for ourselves, that we act with freedom, courage, humility and compassionate love. Amen.
We invite all people of faith to join us in prayer and action for Dreamers and their families.
We offer this prayer prepared the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The event will be followed by a press conference and a series of visits to congressional offices to urge Congress to protect Dreamers and support family unity. We will leave this one-page fact sheet with each congressional office to explain the immediate need for a compassionate response to the crisis faced by Dreamers as the March 5 deadline approaches. We call on Congress to take legislative action that protects Dreamers while not harming their families and communities.