ARCHDIOCESE 3
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 13, 2013
Archbishop on immigration reform: ‘Time to act is now’ VALERIE SCHMALZ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
“The time to act is now” to mobilize support for comprehensive immigration reform stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone told a gathering of priests and deacons. Twenty-seven priests and deacons met at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in San Francisco on Aug. 22 to brainstorm ways to mobilize support for immigration reform at the parish level – but also to air their differences on the Senate bill supported by the U.S. bishops. St. Charles has the third-largest Spanish-speaking congregation in the archdiocese. Forty-one percent of all archdiocesan Catholics are Latino. With congressional elections looming next year, and the historical difficulty of passing immigration reform, Archbishop Cordileone and the U.S. bishops are urging Catholics to lobby Congress to approve comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. “We feel a sense of urgency,” said the archbishop. Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, leader of the U.S. bishops on this issue, suggested a diocesan wide activity “highlighting the value of our immigrant brothers and sisters” be held anytime in September or early October. Archbishop Cordileone planned to discuss appropriate action with the archdiocesan Council of Priests at their first meeting of the 201314 year, scheduled for Sept. 12 (after the deadline of Catholic San Francisco). In June, the U.S. Senate passed, in a bipartisan 6832 vote, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. The House of Representatives is addressing each of the
(PHOTO BY VALERIE SCHMALZ/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
St. Matthew Parish, San Mateo, member Marisol Hernandez is pictured with her year-old son, Samuel, and St. Matthew parochial vicar Father Armando Guttierez on Sept. 6 at a rally in San Francisco calling for an end to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in San Francisco neighborhoods. The single mother, who has been in the United States for 11 years, was detained by ICE last year because she had a prior removal order. components individually in committee, separating pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants from border security issues. An estimated 11 million people are undocumented in the U.S. “We need the people power. We need to inform the people because once they are informed they will mobilize,” said Father Elias M. Salomon, parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Parish in San Francisco. He recounted the story of a couple from Laos who came to him for help because they were to be deported and their four young children left in the U.S. “They are separating the families, it is awful.” “Justice is important to us and we always want to be advocates for justice,” said Archbishop Cordil-
eone. “Far too many people have been living in the country for far too long without the opportunity to regularize their status and it’s not helping anyone by keeping them in the shadows.” Citing the Gospel admonition to “welcome the stranger,” Archbishop Cordileone said creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants is a matter of justice. “Experience shows it is really, really hard to get an immigration reform bill passed in an election year,” Archbishop Cordileone said. He noted there is ecumenical cooperation on this issue in the San Francisco Bay Area and that ability to work together on issues such as this one “is very much the ethos of San Francisco,” a city that has always been a city of immigrants. Christopher Martinez, program director of Catholic Charities CYO’s Refugee and Immigrant Services in the archdiocese, said the clergy who met Aug. 22 brainstormed ways to implement immigration reform if it passes. Some ideas include mobilizing parish volunteers to help immigrants get the necessary paperwork together and raising funds to help immigrants pay the required fees for residency status, he said. But another reason for the meeting was to listen to priests about their concerns, Martinez noted. St. Anthony of Padua/Immaculate Conception pastor Father James Garcia said he thinks the immigration bill can wait. “My basic difficulty is the empty, the untreated questions in the present form of the legislation,” said Father Garcia, pastor of a largely Hispanic parish. “I’m all for the issues of helping the people who are here to successfully complete immigration.” However, Father Garcia said, “The real problem is our borders are not secure.” The church recognizes the right to immigrate, but also the right of government to maintain its integrity, he noted.
“We give thanks to God always for all of you . . .”- Thessalonians 1:2
PRIESTS’ RETIREMENT FUND Special Collection September 14-15, 2013
We need to provide them with adequate care and support. The Priests’ Retirement Fund supports the retired priests of this Archdiocese. It must therefore be adequately funded and have Z\MÄJPLU[ YLZV\YJLZ MVY Z\WWSLTLU[HS TLKPJHS PUZ\YHUJL IL`VUK Medicare coverage, as well as a portion of extended care costs when the need arises.
The priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco have served the Catholic faithful in the counties of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo generously for more than 150 years. Throughout The Priests’ Retirement Fund faces challenges similar to Social our lives, from baptism to death, through good times and Security and many pension funds. There are many retired priests KPMÄJ\S[ [PTLZ V\Y WYPLZ[Z OH]L ILLU [OLYL [V JLSLIYH[L JV\UZLS today, and thanks be to God, our priests are living longer, more encourage, and bear witness to the power of God’s love for us. active lives. This places a welcome, yet increased, demand on the Priests’ Retirement Fund. The Archdiocese is blessed to have hundreds of priests who have dedicated, in some cases, more than 50 years of their Please consider a thoughtful, generous contribution to support lives to caring for and ministering to others. Many continue to your retired priests. Your gift is but one way to thank them for serve in countless ways after their retirement. [OLPY THU` `LHYZ VM MHP[OM\S ZLY]PJL HZ [OPZ LMMVY[ PZ H ZPNUPÄJHU[ means of support for them. You may drop your gift at your parish 6UL KVLZU»[ ILJVTL H WYPLZ[ MVY [OL ÄUHUJPHS ILULÄ[Z +\YPUN on September 14-15, or mail to: active ministry, priests receive a modest salary and room Archdiocese of San Francisco and board. Once retired, they receive a pension from the One Peter Yorke Way z San Francisco, CA 94109 Archdiocese commensurate with their years of service, and are Phone: (415) 614-5580 eligible for Social Security each month. Email: development@sfarchdiocese.org There is, at present, an increase in the number of retired priests.