about all that the US bishops do for those who arrive on our national “doorstep.” But they don’t just wait for these strangers to cross our threshold in America. In keeping with the teachings of our last three popes, the bishops also travel to war-torn countries to discover “the true situation in the migrant’s countries of origin,” a task laid out first by Pope John Paul II. These missions have been instrumental in showing solidarity and understanding to people who have been forgotten, as Pope Benedict XVI encouraged. Organized by the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, our bishops travel on fact-finding missions almost every year. These missions have been instrumental in calling life-saving attention to people who 26 • The Catholic Bishops Conference
have been forgotten or underserved. Remember the crisis of unaccompanied children migrating to US borders from Central America? Shortly before this became national news, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, led our delegation to Central America. The bishops were looking for answers. Who are these children? Why do they make this dangerous journey north? What about the violence, coercion, and extortion these children and their families face? Armed with firsthand information gleaned from the children and their families, the US Bishops were able to predict the enormity of the crisis about to unfold. Upon our return,
Photo CNS
Bishop Martin Holley visited a hospital in Nigeria on behalf of the US bishops’ Subcommittee on the Church in Africa in 2010.