The focal point for this Mass will be to celebrate the and honor the work of the parish community at the Cathedral for their response last May to the needs of asylum seekers who were journeying to the homes of sponsors throughout the United States. The needs of the people, some having traveled for weeks to reach the Southern border, included food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, and assistance in making their final connection with their family members stateside.
The Diocese called this ministry “Operation Bienvenida,” which also took place substantially in the Coachella Valley through the Valley Missionary Program at Our Lady of Soledad Parish in Coachella. The San Bernardino portion of the ministry was carried out in partnership with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice. The Cathedral was the main site in San Bernardino at which people were brought and cared for and while help came from across the Diocese, the community at the Cathedral deserves special attention to their expression of the Diocesan value of hospitality in the way they welcomed our migrant brothers and sisters in their time of need.
Along with the Mass there will be a light reception where attendees will be invited to reflect and learn about ways in which they can get involved in public policy advocacy that reflects Catholic Social Teaching and the building up of community.
Those who attend will learn about the importance of participating in the 2020 Census, which is the mechanism by which legislative districts and funding for federal programs are apportioned. Another example is by exercising one’s call to Faithful Citizenship by being an informed voter and exercising that right to vote. As such, the Diocese will offer some resources at the reception on how people can participate in the Census and prepare themselves for the November 2020 General Election.
Please join as the Diocese celebrates the good work done and points toward the work we hope to accomplish in the future. All are welcome at this Mass.