Page 7 - Catholic Extension 2019 Annual Report

Last August the largest immigration raid in U S history took place in Morton Mississippi when 680 residents were detained without notice Families were shattered The immigrants mainly
of Guatemalan descent belonged to poor parishes that Catholic Extension has helped for years “Families are the core of our our Church and our our nation ” –Father Jack Wall
Through the Holy Family Fund Catholic Extension responded immediately We provided emergency aid to to several parishes who then reached out to to families with humanitarian assistance and eased the chaos Father Jack Wall
our president said “Separated families like the the ones in Mississippi are the the human toll of our broken immigration system which suffers from our nation’s inability to find a a a common sense legislative solution to this pressing issue ” “Families are the core of our our Church and our our nation ” he he added “There is no greater thing that we can do for the the common good than to strengthen families including immigrant families When we break up families no one wins ” To date the Holy Family Fund has extended nearly $125 000 to immigrant families In addition to to donating $80 000 to to this fund Holy Family Parish has extended nearly $300 000 to Catholic Extension from other Lenten campaigns through our Parish Partnership Program This initiative offers parishes the opportunity to make a a difference in the lives of fellow Catholics by connecting them to communities in in need Left top: Father Gustavo Amell blesses a a a a boy at at St Anne’s Catholic Church in Carthage Mississippi a a a a community that was impacted by the ICE raids on immigrants in 2019 Left center: Father Jack Wall
comforts an an immigrant family hurt by the raids in Morton Mississippi Left bottom: Jonathan an an 8-year-old boy with his parents before his his father was separated from his his mother by ICE detention Read his letter to the right Right top: A father consoles his daughter in the the aftermath of the raids “Please do do not abandon us”
Let me say that I am grateful for all
of the help you are giving to our families because so many people are in need who have been deeply affected by everything that is happening here There are many destroyed families children who are suffering waiting to see their their dad or their their mom who are still in detention We ask you to keep helping people who still have family members in detention Please do do not abandon us us Because we the the children are are the the ones who are are suffering the the most after the the raid on August 7th Many days have passed and the children still have hope to see their their mother or their their father come back home We are very grateful for all
that you are doing for for us and for for the help that you gave to my mom Jonathan 8 years old 7