During her service trip to Quiché, Guatemala, Emma Barona says the schoolchildren of the community approached her and her peers — eyes wide with wonder.
Guatemala
ICE Deports Iowa Parishioner to Guatemala Homeland as Supporters Pray for His Release
Hours after a July 6 prayer vigil that Bishop Dennis G. Walsh of Davenport, Iowa, led for immigrant construction worker Pascual Pedro Pedro, Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities deported the 20-year-old West Liberty, Iowa, parishioner to Guatemala, his homeland.
Bishop Seitz Applauds Family Reunification Move, but Urges Full Immigration Reform
El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, the U.S. bishops’ conference migration committee chair, applauded the federal government for its new migrant family reunification program, but simultaneously cautioned that comprehensive immigration reform from Congress remains the only sustainable path forward.
Texas Bishops Call for Immigration Reform After Migrant Deaths in Trailer
The Texas Catholic bishops urged immigration reform, saying it is necessary to prevent what happened to 53 migrants discovered dead and dying inside a trailer June 27 from happening again.
More Than 150 Catholic Organizations ask Biden to Stop Expedited Migrant Expulsions
Responding to the border crisis in Del Rio, Texas, and broader immigration issues, more than 150 Catholic organizations last week implored President Joe Biden to end a policy called Title 42 — federal permission for the immediate expulsion of migrants and limitation of their right to seek asylum.
Sister Ortiz Survived Torture; Became Voice for Victims
Sister Dianna Ortiz struggled daily with memories of torture and rape at the hands of Guatemala security forces in 1989, but she would not let that define her life.
U.S. Deporting Guatemalans Has Led to Spread of COVID-19, Report Says
A report by the Washington-based Refugees International organization charges U.S. immigration policy with helping the spread of the coronavirus in Guatemala, as federal agencies in the U.S. and Mexico have repatriated infected Guatemalans through deportations.
Guatemalan Cardinal Presides on the Feast of the ‘Black Christ’
For Guatemalans in the Diocese of Brooklyn, the feast day of “The Black Christ of Esquipulas” came early this year.
Guatemalan Cardinal in Mississippi Brings Hope to Immigrants After Massive Raid
In one of his first pastoral visits outside Guatemala since being given a red hat in October, newly minted Cardinal Alvaro Ramazzini traveled to Mississippi last weekend to stand in solidarity with Guatemalan immigrants subjected to the largest state deportation raid in U.S. history.
St. Finbar’s Celebrates ‘Guatemalan’ Feast Day
St. Finbar Catholic Church, Bath Beach — long a parish known for welcoming immigrants — honored the many Guatemalans in its community with a vigil Mass, procession and fiesta on Sept. 28 to celebrate the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel.