Staff Report

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati will be sponsoring a Mass for Immigration Reform this Sunday, Sept. 8, at Holy Family Catholic Church at 10 a.m.

The main celebrant will be Father Len Wenke, pastoral administrator of Holy Family, with concelebrants Father Louis Gasparini, director of Hispanic Ministries for the Archdiocese, and Father Jim Schutte, pastor of St. Leo Church in North Fairmount. Mass will be followed by light refreshments, sharing of stories, and music.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, in conjunction with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. The bishops have asked for reform that:

• Provides a path to citizenship for undocumented persons living in the United States;
• Preserves and strengthens family unity as a cornerstone of our national immigration system;
• Provides legal avenues for low-skilled immigrants to come and work in the United States;
• Restores due process for individuals caught up in the immigration system
• Promotes efforts that will address the root causes of migration, such as poverty and
  persecution.

The flyer promoting the Mass reads, “Join life-long citizens as well as recent migrants from a variety of cultures in this Eucharistic celebration of solidarity and prayer for the dignity of migrants and immigration reform!”

In a statement read July 27 at the March for Citizenship in Springfield, Ohio, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr called on the House of Representative to follow the Senate’s lead in passing immigration reform.

“We hope and pray that the U.S. House of Representatives and its leaders will advance the cause of comprehensive immigration reform that allows our nation to protect its borders and provides for family reunification, stronger workers’ rights, and pathways to citizenship,” Archbishop Schnurr wrote. “Should they fail, should they vote for the status quo, then no one wins — not migrants or their families, not law enforcement, not our economy or communities, not America.”

Holy Family is located at 814 Hawthorne Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45205. For more information, contact (513) 421-3131 extension 2611.

Masses and events supporting immigration reform will be held this weekend in 22 states.  Cities holding Masses and events include Los Angeles; Brooklyn, New York; Chicago; San Francisco; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Tampa Bay, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Cincinnati; St. Louis; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Miami; Hartford, Connecticut; Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Arlington, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Salt Lake City and Indianapolis, Indiana.