By Natalie Romano
In a powerful witness of solidarity and pastoral care, seven California bishops including Bishop Alberto Rojas and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Barnes celebrated Mass at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on December 10th.
The encounter left both the bishops and the detainees visibly emotional.
“It was so moving,” said Bishop Barnes. “[After Communion, the detainees] were coming back to the fence and holding on to the fence as they knelt, a couple of them, even in the form of prostration and they stayed there for minutes…I could only imagine what was going on in their minds.”
The Mass was an effort to bring faith and hope to the some 300 undocumented immigrants awaiting legal proceedings. The outdoor service, organized by the California Catholic Conference (CCC) and the Diocese of San Bernardino, was the first major religious event at the High Desert facility since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joining Bishop Rojas and Bishop Barnes were Bishop Oscar Cantu from the Diocese of San Jose and Auxiliary Bishop Rey Bersabal from the Diocese of Sacramento. The remaining three, from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, were Auxiliary Bishops Brian Nunes, Matt Elshoff and Marc Trudeau.
Bishop Cantu preached to the detainees who were in guarded, fenced recreational areas on either side of the altar. During the homily, given in both English and Spanish, the bishop said that God’s grace can reach them even here.
“No matter where we are, if we’re on this side of the fence or on that side of the fence, for God there are no barriers, there are no fences, there are no walls,” proclaimed Bishop Cantu, President of the CCC. “His love penetrates everywhere and anywhere in the world where the human heart is open to His love.”
The west wing of the facility houses some 1,600 men who were taken into custody not just locally but throughout the U.S. Their countries of origin range from Mexico to Turkey to China. At the start of Mass, Bishop Rojas assured the detainees that the Church had not forgotten them.
“You are not alone,” said Bishop Rojas, who was recently appointed to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. “We support you, we pray for you and your families. We want to see how you are doing.”
His comments were met with a loud “Muchas gracias!” from one of the men. In turn, the bishop smiled and shouted back “De nada!”.
Throughout the service, detainees continued to be talkative and demonstrative, giving each other and the bishops gestures of peace. However, they quieted down when the bishops crossed the heavy metal barriers and entered their yards, the only time interaction was permitted. The men mostly took Communion on the tongue and some asked that their bibles or rosaries be blessed.
Bishop Bersabal said he wanted to be a strong presence for the detainees but struggled to contain his own emotions.
“After looking into the faces of the first five men, I had to take a breath and fight for my composure,” described Bishop Bersabal. “You could see how much Communion meant to them.”
The visit was inspired by the “Special Message” on immigration issued by the U.S. Bishops in November. It criticizes “indiscriminate” deportations and “dehumanizing” rhetoric while acknowledging the right of nations to protect their borders. After the Mass, the bishops held a press conference at nearby Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church where Bishop Cantu called out both Congressional Republicans and Democrats for not fixing the “broken” system, one “that fails families”.
The bishops also fielded questions about detainee treatment since GEO Group, the private company contracted to operate the facility, has been accused of not providing adequate care. Bishop Cantu noted that while they did not tour the entire building, what they saw was clean.
The diocese’s Department of Life, Dignity and Justice has fostered a relationship with the new warden and chaplain at the Adelanto ICE facility thereby paving the way for the Dec. 10 visit. A Catholic presence there goes back many years, however, thanks to the leadership of Sister Rosario Coronado, E.E.P., now serving in Mexico, who built up a network of volunteers that regularly visited detainees.
During his tenure, Bishop Barnes celebrated Mass at the center on multiple occasions, including in 2018, when he was joined by five brother bishops for a marathon day of four Masses and Confession.
Diocesan Director of Advocacy and Justice for Immigrants Wilfredo Aguirre said he was pleased with this most recent visit but asked Catholics not to forget the detainees and their families.
“As we are entering the Christmas season, leading up to the birth of Christ, I want to remind people that there are so many others that aren’t going to be able to have that joy and happiness that many of us are experiencing at home. So just keep them close to your hearts and prayers.”
Natalie Romano is an award-winning freelance writer based in Southern California.