Millennial Immigration Presents Opportunities for Catholics

Popular sentiment toward current massive immigration in the United States and throughout the world ranges from fear and resentment to worries about terrorism, criminal behavior, and economics. How can we, as a nation, embrace the problems that accompany the influx of illegal immigrants? Our current law enforcement system is overwhelmed with homegrown rioting and violent protesters. Our intelligence agencies are hard at work combatting threats from ISIS and other terrorist groups. Our military is dispersed around the world actively protecting our nation from rising anti-American aggression. Public schools across the country are struggling with unfunded federal mandates which require schools to educate millions of illegal aliens, their school age children and refugees. Social agencies and the welfare system are overburdened with addressing the needs of the economically devastated populace. With an extensive plan to accept hundreds of thousands of new immigrants into the U.S. each year, American citizens fear for the economic impact that will result from rising unemployment rates, the widespread concerns about national security due to insufficient screening, and the concerns about the safety of traditional neighborhoods as more and more foreigners settle in. Fear and anxiety are not an unwarranted response - the feelings of average Americans are caused by perceived dangers, threats or simply the anticipation of future problems. Fear is a natural response to recognized risks. How we react in the face of fear, however, is a test of faith. Without faith, it is possible to respond with anger, violence, resentment, or intolerance. With faith, there is wisdom; there is discernment; there is hope. In the face of real dangers, real threats, and real problems, our faith can lead to cautious, experienced, and reasoned responses. In the U.S. we have an important history of Catholic responses to social struggles.

Between 1880 and 1920, the U.S. experienced a deluge of immigrants from all parts of the world. The face of America, with its then predominantly English, Irish, and German populace, suddenly became inundated with an estimated 25 million new settlers from Italy, Greece, Poland, Eastern Europe and Asia. The reasons for this barrage of immigration ranged from economic struggles, over-population, the opportunities that came with the industrial revolution, and of course, political and religious persecution. Whatever the reasons behind the flurry of immigration in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century, the challenges to American society were tremendous. Were there criminals among the lot? Yes, some immigrants even carried organized crime into the U.S. Were public schools overburdened with a population of non-English speaking students? Most certainly. Poverty became a major concern as industry relied on the newcomers for cheap labor.

In light of these historical facts it is easy to suggest that these problems must be solved entirely by our government leaders. To suggest that it is solely the government’s responsibility to care for the needs of its inhabitants is to undermine personal responsibility. However, personal responsibility is not necessarily written into the current fabric of society. Modern culture may tend to guide its citizens in other directions - such as “taking care of number one.” Faith teaches us otherwise. For example, in Leviticus 19:34, “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” The faith-filled response to aliens residing among us strongly urges us to love them as ourselves because we all belong to God, regardless of the way in which we worship Him, or the name we ascribe to Him. How did faithful Catholics of the 19th and 20th century immigration boom respond to the aliens that came to live among them?

Multiple religious orders began to establish parochial schools in various ethnic neighborhoods throughout most major cities in the country. By “1884, the Third Plenary Council of the U.S. Bishops, held in Baltimore, Md., encouraged every parish to establish a parochial school for the benefit of the children of the parish” (usccb.wordpress.com) and by 1920 more than 6500 Catholic schools served nearly 2 million elementary-age students in the U.S. Children from numerous ethnic backgrounds learned to read and write, to understand history and math, science and religion from Catholic nuns and later from the laity as well.

To help aid the poor, National Conference of Catholic Charities, founded in 1910, served millions of the nation’s poor each year, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. In 1986 the organization changed its name to Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA).

In response to the impoverished sick in the nation, Catholics in Philadelphia founded two hospitals for the Irish and German Catholics and soon became important health and welfare establishments the community. By 1900 the Catholics had set up hospitals in most major cities. In the city of New York the Dominicans, Franciscans, Sisters of Charity, and other religious orders established hospitals as well. By the 1920s they were serving everyone in the neighborhood. Catholics in smaller cities followed suit. The Sisters of Providence in Missoula, Montana opened St. Patrick Hospital in 1873 which cared for the poor and later opened a day school and a boarding school.

It is also notable to recognize a convert made among the established non-immigrant citizens of the time. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne, converted to Catholicism and devoted her life to the care of cancer patients among the impoverished neighborhoods in New York. She later organized a group called the Servants of Relief for Incurable Cancer. In 1900, two years after the death of her husband, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop was named Sister Mary Alphonsa in the Dominican Order and after one year she became head of two resident homes which she had established for the incurably ill and became Mother Alphonsa.

These indelible examples set by faithful Catholics who responded with mercy to the multitude of immigrants flocking to this nation nearly 150 years ago serve as a blueprint for our current challenges. At that time we may not have been in the position to rectify the problems of Italy, Ireland, Germany, or Eastern Europe which led to the massive immigration of that time period any more than we are capable of solving the problems in the Middle East or Latin America which are affecting our modern refugee and immigration, but we can look to our faith and Catholic teaching to properly address the needs in our community. The contemporary influx of refugees and immigrants present a challenge to Catholics of today. By performing acts of mercy according to our religious beliefs we may draw others (immigrants or established American citizens) to the Catholic faith. Within the social sphere, merciful acts may include helping our schools, volunteering in hospitals, pregnancy centers, houses of mercy, prisons, nursing homes, ESL programs, etc… wherever the need for compassion exists. The current state of the nation may present us with many situations that cause fear, anxiety, and legitimate concerns for the well-being and welfare of our citizens, but if we, as faith-filled Catholics, take charge, call to arms the tenets of our faith, and lead the way with a banner of mercy, we can once again be instrumental in bringing our stressed communities to the integrated and organic society that many came to embrace following the inpouring of millions of immigrants a century and a half ago. It is simply time to stand up, and be merciful again, and always

3 John 1:5 “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; they have testified to your love before the church. You do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God; for they began their journey for the sake of Christ, accepting no support from non-believers. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that they may become co-workers with the truth.”