Immigration: What the Archdiocese of Baltimore is Doing

The Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore proactively speaks out against injustice, communicates Church Social Teaching, and takes specific actions to help those in need. Below are some examples.

1. Homilies and messages. Archbishop Lori includes Catholic Social Teaching in his homilies and messages, and encourages his auxiliary bishops and priests to do the same.
2. Media. Archbishop Lori wrote an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun—Setting the record straight on the Catholic Church’s commitment to immigrants—which:
   1. Summarized Catholic Social Teaching principles regarding immigration.
   2. Listed concrete action the Church has been taking for many years to resettle immigrants.
   3. Corrected untrue statements made by the current administration.
3. Catechesis. The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s webpage —The Catholic Church on Immigration—explains and applies the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding recent immigration news and events in a variety of ways:
   1. Pope Francis
   2. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
   3. Archbishop Lori

1. Pastors who have Hispanic ministries support and assist immigrant parishioners and others affected by the current immigration news and events.
   • Pastors provide information and assistance at the point of need in many ways that other organizations are not able to.
   • Pastors are accommodating the needs of distressed immigrant parishioners, including offering an increased number of Masses, Eucharistic Holy Hours, and family visits, to name a few.
2. These pastors meet regularly with each other, Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Office of Hispanic Ministry for support, ideas, and resources.
   • The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Office of Hispanic Ministry directly supports the immigrant community in the Archdiocese with resources and information.
3. These pastors have received a presentation from the University of Maryland’s Clinical Law Program on Immigration regarding seminars and resources available to the immigrant community.
4. All pastors foundationally support immigrants in their spiritual and pastoral needs including offering preparation for and reception of the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, and the Sacrament of the Sick, as well as ongoing Catholic education, catechesis, and pastoral counseling.
   • Pastors and parishes pray for immigrants in liturgy.
   • Pastors and parishes offer a variety of parish ministries and social activities that build up the Body of Christ in the parish community.

In summary, the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore has not only been a voice for the immigrant, but also proactive in assisting our brothers and sisters in Christ who are looking for the Church to “stay with them”—their words—and that is what we are striving to do.