According to an official of the U.S. bishops’ conference, so much of the life of Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana was devoted to the welfare of migrants, especially “Dreamers” who came to the U.S. as children, that the best tribute after his death would be to continue his work.
Representatives from the business sector, faith groups and grassroots organizations that support immigration reform sent Congress a letter March 2, a day after President Biden’s first State of the Union address, urging lawmakers to act on immigration because “simply put, the system is broken.”
Bishop Mario Dorsonville remembers a conversation he once had with a woman named Rosalinda in a doctor’s office. Rosalinda, a migrant, had legs full of cactus thorns from her journey through the desert to get to the U.S., but she explained that’s not what hurt most.
The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ migration committee marked the ninth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program June 15 by urging Congress to act on creating a pathway to citizenship for its beneficiaries.
At an emergency immigration meeting this week, a prominent moment for Bishop Mario Dorsonville was a conversation with an El Salvadorian bishop who described the growing emptiness of some of his diocesan towns.
The Catholic electorate gives mixed reviews on President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office. Issues of concern include his COVID-19 response, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and religious freedom.
The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ migration committee told a House subcommittee Sept. 23 that any stimulus bill Congress is considering must include assistance for immigrant and refugee families and also make them eligible for past stimulus relief.
