Catholic Charities joins with parishes to support undocumented

In an effort to reinforce Catholic Charities of Los Angeles’ commitment to support the undocumented immigrant community, Msgr. Gregory Cox, executive director, announced the launch of a partnering program with parishes during a meeting with pastors and deacons from inner-city parishes.“We will start working with parishes in establishing relationships and we will hear your recommendations,” Msgr. Cox told the immigration leadership team at the Sept. 4 meeting, where Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar, director of the archdiocesan Office of Justice and Peace, was also present. Coordinated by the Office of Justice and Peace, the immigration team was formed with the purpose of promoting the cause of immigrants.“We are a church of immigrants,” said Bishop Salazar, “who belong to a community of believers that goes beyond borders.”Loc Nam Nguyen, director of Catholic Charities’ Immigration and Refugee Department, and Msgr. Cox said the agency is ready to facilitate cost-effective workshops to train volunteers that will be helping the undocumented in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals application process, from providing general information to filling out applications.Nguyen added that in the future the program could be sponsored by outsiders in order to get more people involved in the process.The non-profit agency conducted a free bilingual information session Aug. 23 at St. Didacus Church in Sylmar, attended by more than 225 area residents and 125 potential “DREAMers,” which showed the need of this type of programs in the community, declared Catholic Charities facilitators.The officers attending the Sept. 4 meeting explained that for security measures, all files of the undocumented will be kept in their offices, but each church should also keep records.Pastors requested that they too be trained or informed in a “clear and simple” way on the whole documenting process in order to support and convey their message from the pulpit.They said one of the goals is to get more pastors on board to help the immigrant community throughout the archdiocese.For more information about Catholic Charities’ Immigration and Refugee Department, call (213) 252-3489. To contact the archdiocesan Office of Justice and Peace, call associate director Jaime Huerta, (213) 637-7560. {gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/0914/immigration/{/gallery}