Friday night prayer vigil hosted by Ravenswood Presbyterian Church (photo by Rebecca Morales)
“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
Dear Siblings in Christ,
On Friday, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) issued an alert that federal agents are on the ground in Albany Park, a neighborhood just a few blocks from my house and from Mayfair PC, where Ravenswood PC now gathers for worship. Over 40% of the Albany Park population is Hispanic/Latiné, and earlier this week federal agents arrested Juan, a metal scraper, a hard-working undocumented immigrant who last June helped us clear out the church property at 4300 N. Hermitage Ave. And last Sunday, masked and armed federal agents dressed in camouflage arrested a family of four (including two children) from Albany Park that was enjoying Crown Fountain at Millennium Park. News outlets report that the family has been separated, with the father being held at the Broadview Detention Center and the mother and children being held at O’Hare Airport. How shall the church respond to the terror and suffering that our immigrant neighbors are enduring?
One way Ravenswood PC has responded is by offering a Prayer Vigil on Friday evenings to accompany immigrants. The vigil is intended as a healing and encouraging space to endure this most difficult time, and to renew hope and strength for the journey ahead. On September 8, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) launched Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois. Since then, the operation has expanded and there is no end in sight. I hope that other congregations in our presbytery can be encouraged to offer hospitality to immigrants during this crisis moment. I know that even suburban congregations are surrounded by large pockets of immigrants to whom we are called to show God’s mercy.
Something else Ravenswood PC has done is to distribute Know Your Rights literature and to hold training sessions, helping immigrants prepare for encounters with federal authorities. We have done this with the support of Centro Romero, one of our partners in mission, but most social-service agencies in the city and suburbs have resources available. In addition, I as pastor have begun sending emails to our elders with links to fact sheets that help to debunk myths around immigration, healthcare, the shutdown, etc. Truth-telling is part of how we show mercy.
But Ravenswood is not the only congregation responding to this crisis moment that is targeting immigrants based on their looks and LGBTQ+ siblings. About a dozen pastors from our presbytery attended a recent interfaith rally at Daley Plaza, praying and chanting under the theme Faith Over Fear (Fe sobre el miedo), and many continue gathering and strategizing with religious leaders in our city. The Faith Over Fear Coalition is a multifaith, grassroots table of leaders and organizations across Chicago committed to spiritually rooted organizing that centers dignity, healing, and justice. Pastors and congregations from our presbytery have also joined rapid response teams and protests outside the Broadview Detention Center. And some of our congregations have a long-standing commitment to supporting, accompanying, and housing migrant families and those impacted by the lack of affordable housing. Together, we are trying to make a difference by showing God’s mercy to the Lazarus at our door.
Beyond all these prayers and actions, we are looking for ways that our denomination might provide funding for legal aid. Now more than ever people are desperately seeking funds for legal representation and immigration application fees (which have exorbitantly increased, while federal funding for social-service agencies has decreased).
Let us pray for all populations being targeted by the federal government, for our churches, and for our Presbytery, and let us find creative and faithful ways to embody God’s justice and mercy for our immigrant neighbors.
In Christ,
Rev. Magdalena I. García
Pastor, Ravenswood PC
