Chicago, IL (October 14, 2013) –The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office for Immigrant Affairs and Immigration Education has organized a major Pilgrimage to call attention to issues regarding immigration reform, especially those reforms that directly affect the separation of families. The pilgrimage, which is expected to have thousands of participants from dozens of Archdiocesan parishes throughout Cook and Lake counties, will take place on Saturday, October 19, beginning with a prayer service at 9 a.m., at Holy Name Cathedral, State and Superior Streets in Chicago. During the prayer service, all participants will receive a blessed, white ribbon to wear on the pilgrimage, symbolizing hope and trust in God for Congress’ return to action for the passage of immigration reform legislation.
At the conclusion of the prayer service, the pilgrimage will leave Holy Name Cathedral and process toward the Loop in complete silence to show solidarity with the suffering of immigrant families and to pray for immigration reform. The pilgrimage is expected to arrive at Federal Plaza at approximately 11:30 a.m., where there will be prayers for immigration reform and speakers.
From Federal Plaza, the pilgrimage will process in song, south to Old St. Mary’s at 1500 South Michigan Avenue.
Among those scheduled to participate and speak during the pilgrimage are Most Rev. John R. Manz, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, Mark C. Curran, Jr., Sheriff of Lake County, Sr. JoAnn Persch, Rev. Gary M. Graf, Rev. Lawrence R. Dowling and Rev. Marco A. Mercado.
As a prelude to Saturday’s pilgrimage, a group of 11 people, representing the 11 million undocumented people waiting for immigration reform, will process from Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 111 South Cass Avenue in Westmont, which is located in Congressman Peter Roskam’s district, to Holy Name Cathedral, beginning early Friday morning, October 18. Another group of 11 people will start their walk to Holy Name Cathedral in the afternoon of the same day from Congressman Daniel Lipinski’s office on Archer Avenue in Chicago.
The Pilgrimage for Faith and Action on the Journey for Immigration Reform on October 19 will be a continuation of the “40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Action until the Vote” Campaign that has the participation of 220 Archdiocesan parishes. This campaign is being considered the penultimate phase of the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform following the Senate vote of 68-32 in favor of the comprehensive immigration bill, S. 744. Attention has now turned to the House of Representatives, and the critical process to pass and sign a bill into law this fall because of the 2014 election year.
# # #
Since May 2005, the Archdiocese of Chicago, its bishops, priests and religious congregations, have been a voice for immigrants through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform/Justice for Immigrants, established to educate Catholics and the general public about the need for comprehensive immigration reform and to influence legislation for a permanent and fair solution to immigration issues in this country.
For more information about immigration efforts of the Archdiocese of Chicago, visit www.archchicago.org/immigration, or contact Elena Segura, Director of the Office for Immigrant Affairs and Immigration Education at 312-307-6180 or [email protected] .
