MINISTRY UPDATE – APRIL 20, 2025
We are an Easter People!

We have all heard the term “Easter people,” meaning that we live out the hope and joy of Christ’s resurrection. Living this faith translates to embracing hope, showing love, and expressing joy. The Migrant Ministry is an opportunity to be an Easter people, not only for the migrants we serve, but also for each other as volunteers from many different faith traditions or no particular church affiliation. We have become a close community, opening up every Tuesday and Thursday morning without fail and working together to uphold the dignity of our brother and sister migrants.

There are many signs of HOPE. Hard-working and committed volunteer Patricia Tucker-Ladd just helped complete and submit her 100th asylum application, working closely with grateful migrants. Immigration Support Services is ramping up with various teams of volunteer lawyers and translators to not only complete asylum applications and work permits, but also address other immigration issues. The documents are submitted with large doses of HOPE.

LOVE is clearly evident in the kindness expressed between migrants and volunteers. Nine-year-old Josely was spotted drawing on an old tattered notebook. She shared that she liked to draw and do arts and crafts. Attentive volunteers found her an art set and a bead craft kit. Josely returned the next week with homemade bracelets for the volunteers.

And JOY? Just check out the faces of both the volunteers and the migrants on any Migrant Ministry morning. There is a reason volunteers keep returning week after week, month after month, for almost two years. The Center is a place of joy.

Please continue to pray for our beloved migrant brothers and sisters.

MINISTRY UPDATE – APRIL 13, 2025
Temporary Protective Status Extended

We received some good news for many of our resettled migrant families, especially those from Venezuela. The Temporary Protective Status (TPS) has been extended. Most of the families have now applied for asylum, which we encouraged them to do to give them another form of protection from deportation.

Humanitarian Parole is still expected to end in April, and we are working with several families to find a solution for them. Our Family Action Packets is complete and is being shared with the families we are accompanying, migrants visiting Centro San Edmundo, and organizations throughout the Chicagoland area serving migrants and undocumented immigrants. It covers such topics as assigning temporary custody of one’s children in case the parents are separated from the children and deported.

Please continue to pray for our beloved migrant brothers and sisters.

MINISTRY UPDATE – APRIL 6, 2025
More Manna, More Stories

The recent coinciding spring breaks for Chicago and Oak Park public schools and Archdiocesan schools resulted in a wonderful influx of children spending the morning at Centro San Edmundo. In addition to the increased number of migrant children, some of the volunteers brought their own children and grandchildren to help in the playroom and with clothing distribution. Almost half of the migrant guests on Thursday were children. The result? Lots of energy! Lots of fun!

We work hard to make Centro San Edmundo a place of joy and happiness, especially in the playroom, where children can be children, with dress-ups, dolls, trucks, a play kitchen, crafts, and so many other fun activities. The reality for our migrant brothers and sisters is much harsher, especially with the end of Temporary Protective Status and Humanitarian Parole in April for so many. For that reason, we are rushing to help as many migrants as possible to complete and submit their asylum applications.

We are also preparing Family Action Packets which, sadly, will cover such difficult topics as assigning temporary custody of one’s children in case parents are separated from their children and deported. The packet includes advice on how to talk to one’s children about deportation. See illustration / image above!

Pray for our beloved migrant brothers and sisters. We are entering a very difficult time.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 30, 2025
Migrants as Partners in the Ministry

One of the many beautiful outcomes of the Migrant Ministry is a strong sense of community and call to service shared among the volunteers and the migrants. Many of the migrants who have been assisted through the Ministry, return to help sort donations on Mondays or tend to fellow migrants on Tuesday and Thursday Ministry Mornings. Javier, Gustavo, Hector, and Jorge regularly volunteer on Ministry Mornings. Jose Gregorio, who had his own restaurant in Venezuela, has brought Venezuelan food for both the volunteers and migrant guests. He is pictured here recently serving his incredibly delicious sopa.

Young migrant men help carry heavy loads or grab the shovels from the volunteers to clear the snow off the sidewalks. A number of migrants have returned outgrown clothes to re-donate. Very often migrants tell others about Centro San Edmundo and accompany their friends to the center.

But the most heartwarming and amazing example is that of Jose and Adriana, a young couple who are part of our Housing and Accompaniment Ministry. When their baby girl Cattleya was just 3 months old, Jose and Adriana learned of a 14-month-old migrant child left orphaned when his single mother was deported. Jose and Adriana welcomed baby Jose into their home, arranging for temporary custody until the toddler can be reunited with his mother. Jose joined their family right before Christmas.

Our work would not be possible without the volunteers and your generous donations. We have both ongoing and emerging needs. Specifically now, we are in great need of men’s shoes and boots, especially smaller sizes. In addition, we are seeking donations to our Legal Defense Fund as the asylum court dates are coming up for the migrant families we are accompanying. If you want to donate to the Legal Defense Fund, please note that when you donate to the Migrant Ministry through Give Central. We also need mentors to accompany the families and help them adjust to their new environment. It is not necessary to speak Spanish to be a mentor.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 23, 2025
More Manna, More Stories

Stories are the manna that feeds us on this journey and we have now started a Google doc for the volunteers to share their Migrant Ministry stories – stories of hope, inspiration, resilience, and gratitude. Recently one volunteer shared that a migrant leaving her ESL class came up to her, smiled, and slowly but deliberately said, “Thank you for being kind. I am learning English. Thank you for everything.” The volunteer smiled in return, congratulated the migrant on her newly-acquired English skills, and noted what effort and courage it took to speak to strangers in a new language in a new country.

In his Ash Wednesday homily, Father Hutmacher encouraged us to choose kindness this Lent. Kindness is the salve for the struggles and division the world is experiencing. We strive to make all our interactions with migrants grounded in kindness. One volunteer commented that if a migrant gets deported, they leave remembering that there were kind people here. Through kindness we live up to the award we recently received from Har Zion Temple in River Forest during their recent Refugee Shabbat, recognizing our work as contributing the “Tikkun Olam,” the healing and repairing of the world.

Our work would not be possible without the volunteers and your generous donations. We have both ongoing and emerging needs. Specifically now, we are in great need of men’s shoes and boots, especially smaller sizes. In addition, we are seeking donations to our Legal Defense Fund as the asylum court dates are coming up for the migrant families we are accompanying. If you want to donate to the Legal Defense Fund, please note that when you donate to the Migrant Ministry through Give Central. We also need mentors to accompany the families and help them adjust to their new environment. It is not necessary to speak Spanish to be a mentor.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 16, 2025
The Manna that Feeds Us on This Journey

These are difficult times for everyone concerned for the welfare of our brothers and sister asylum-seekers and, of course, for the migrants themselves. We continue to work to meet immediate needs for clothing, shoes, coats, bedding, and toiletries but are increasingly putting time, energy, and precious volunteer effort into assisting the migrants with their immigration papers, understanding their rights, and completing “Family Action” packets. These packets contain official documents to arrange for custody of their children in case the parents are detained and for other very sad but necessary tasks.

We are struggling, as well as our migrant brothers and sisters who are hesitant to fill out the forms. This could be due to any number of reasons: denial, avoidance, paralyzing fear, or not knowing with whom to leave their children. Many say that they are leaving everything in the hands of “Papa Díos” who brought them safely out of their home country, through the dangerous Darien Gap, away from the human traffickers and drug cartels, across seven countries, and finally to Chicago.

We celebrate their strong faith but also gently address the other factors that might hinder the completion of these necessary documents. We are on this journey together, gaining strength and growing in faith. What is the manna that feeds us on this journey? The smiles and hugs of the migrants themselves, the dedicated volunteers (including the hardworking Monday morning sorters pictured above), and stories of success. We learned this week that an asylum-seeker was stopped by ICE on the street. He showed the official the “Know Your Rights” card that we have been distributing. The card states that the migrant is exercising his right to remain silent. The ICE official left him alone.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 9, 2025
What We Have Learned, How We Have Grown

The Immigration Ministry of the Archdiocesan Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity recently sponsored a talk at Saint Giles on the “Theology of Migration” by Father Dan Groody CSC. Before Father Groody’s talk in the evening, he was invited to tour Centro San Edmundo and learn about the Migrant Ministry. Representatives of other ministries serving immigrant and migrant populations in the Archdiocese were also invited and talked about their work.

WATCH PRESENTATION

Father Groody’s presentation as well as the visit we had with him and the other guests gave us the opportunity to reflect on our spiritual experience within the Migrant Ministry. He spoke about the “inner migration” in those who enter into an encounter with those engaged in an “outer migration.” In the services we are providing and opportunities to get to know personally the migrants, we are experiencing an inner migration towards UNITY with God’s people. We have a greater sense of ONENESS, not only with our brothers and sisters whom we serve, but with our volunteers from other faith traditions and those who do not profess to a particular faith. Beyond the volunteers, other faith centers have reached out. Recently our ministry was highlighted at the Refugee Shabbat at Har Zion temple in River Forest. Unity Temple is dedicating its services in the month of March to migration and collecting donations for us. We were recently contacted by the Baha’i community in Oak Park, asking how they could support us. We are no longer in silos.

The current dominant political narrative pulls us away from ONENESS to OTHERNESS, demonizing the other and splintering our community. We resist this splintering and continue to celebrate and uphold the dignity of the migrants in ONENESS with our Creator God.

Our efforts were recently highlighted in the front page article in the Wednesday Journal, and boosted by an affirmative editorial.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 2, 2025
Asylum Seeking Families Heading to Court

By the time you read this, two of our resettled families will have been to their first hearing of Immigration Court. The first family has been scheduled for their next hearing in 2026, and by then, they must have collected documents showing that they were persecuted by their government. This family is working with a person in their home country to collect newspaper articles, videos, even medical records to document the persecution. We encourage our families to record as much information as they can remember about the fear they have of being sent back to their home country. Any detail is important and can be used by the immigration attorney who will represent them. Thank you to the volunteers in our Immigration Support Services and the Legal Defense Fund who work with these families. Donations are appreciated and volunteers are welcomed and treasured.

The Migrant Ministry would not be possible without volunteers and your generous donations.

MINISTRY UPDATE – FEBRUARY 23, 2025
Celebrate Positive Stories!

These times are difficult. The vast majority of the people we serve are in the US legally, either through Humanitarian Parole, Temporary Protective Status, or as asylum seekers. But the suspension of some of these pathways and the threat of being stopped by ICE weigh heavily on our migrant brothers and sisters and we feel their fear. We keep our spirits up by sharing and celebrating positive stories. Here is one:

Late last month, a woman named Nini arrived at Centro San Edmundo with her 14 year old daughter and carrying her 20 year old son severely crippled by cerebral palsy. He was the size of an extremely thin 10-11 year old boy. Nini had carried him all the way from Venezuela, through the dangerous jungle of the Darien gap and across seven countries, facing the threat of drug cartels, human traffickers, and unsafe transportation. And she carried him through the halls of Centro San Edmundo as she “shopped” in our free stores.

The volunteers responded. A donated collapsible wagon was found. Alec Meltzer, a student from Saint Isaac Jogues parish in Hinsdale who had skipped school in order to volunteer with his mother (and get Confirmation service hours), padded the wagon with a sleeping bag and pillow. He brought the wagon to Nini and helped place the young man into the wagon – it was a perfect fit! All who witnessed the interchange were moved. The young migrant’s name??? Jesus.

We are not always aware of the impact of the Migrant Ministry on the volunteers. A staff member found this TikTok video recently that was created by one of our younger, regular volunteers. Watch it! It is amazing. You don’t need TikTok to watch the video. It has over 400,000 views on Tik Tok. Here is the link:

Watch the TikTok Video

Please join us on Wednesday, February 26 at Saint Giles for Father Dan Groody’s talk on the Theology of Migration.

MINISTRY UPDATE – FEBRUARY 16, 2025
Needs for Resettled Families Continue

The Migrant Ministry has supported 20 households over the past 2 years and we hear of more needs every day. Some of the people in our households are now independent and our goal continues to be for the families to achieve financial independence by one year. Meaning that they are able to pay for housing, food and other daily expenses. We find though that our families continue to be in touch with their mentors to ask for advice and to continue a close friendship that has developed since arriving in Chicago.

Our families are moving into a new phase as court dates for asylum applications are now coming up. With the help of the Immigration Support Services, which helps submit the applications and the Legal Defense Fund, which helps locate immigration attorneys to take the cases and also to cover a portion of the costs, our families are arriving at their court dates prepared. We recently asked for help from a Congress person to get a case on track. It is such a complicated process. Imagine how hard it is for those who are trying to do this without assistance and in a different language.

We thank you all again for your support as we navigate these new phases with our beloved migrant families.

We will continue to accompany our migrant friends but recognize that we need to reduce the donations. Effective February 3, 2025, until further notice, only the items listed below will be accepted. If the numbers start to rebound we will open donations again and make a general announcement.

MINISTRY UPDATE – FEBRUARY 9, 2025
Difficult Times

The Trump Administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown has had a chilling effect on the Migrant Ministry. Our numbers are down from earlier in January, but last week, 130 migrants still felt the risk worthwhile as they sought necessary items such as warm winter clothing, boots, blankets, sheets, towels, toiletries, social services, and immigration support. All total, we served 197 migrants because we allow people to register and “shop” for migrants who could not or were afraid to come to Centro San Edmundo personally. Oak Parkers were also picking up needed items for migrants.

An ICE van was seen scoping out CSE late Sunday afternoon, and there were two more sightings later in the week. Yes, we are alarmed but we are not deterred. A Rapid Response plan has been created and reviewed by the Archdiocese. We continue to welcome our brother and sister migrants with open arms, but we also intensely review with them how to respond if stopped by ICE. Signs with key reminders in Spanish are posted on the walls. Two thousand five hundred Know Your Rights business-sized cards were printed by the Sign Express (South Oak Park business), but we were only charged for two hundred and fifty cards. When we needed a second order, Bill doubled the order (five thousand cards) and did not charge us. We are sharing the cards widely.

These are difficult and stressful times, but we hold onto HOPE and know that LOVE CONQUERS FEAR. We are grateful for the incredible solidarity and generosity we have experienced. Thirteen-year-old Ben Whittingham of Western Springs declined a major Christmas present this year and asked instead that the money be spent on providing breakfast for the migrants. Ben and his mother did all the shopping and Ben even boiled the eggs for the first migrant breakfast of 2025. The photo shows Ben’s mother Colleen delivering the breakfast (Ben was at school!).

MINISTRY UPDATE – FEBRUARY 2, 2025
Numbers at All-Time Low

During the week of January 20 to 24, our Migrant Ministry Mornings on Tuesday and Thursday reached an all-time low with 17 people on Tuesday, January 21 and 46 on Thursday, a total of 63. The temperature on Tuesday was -5 degrees which certainly contributed to the low number. But another reason was the concern shared by our migrant brothers and sisters that they might be targeted at Centro San Edmundo by the new Executive Order which went into effect the day before increasing the number of people being deported and shutting off new arrivals at the border.

REGARDING ITEM DONATIONS – We will continue to accompany our migrant friends but recognize that we need to reduce the donations of clothing and toiletries to items that are critical. Those items are blankets, sheets, towels, and men’s warm winter clothing and coats. Effective February 3 until further notice, only the items listed above will be accepted during Monday morning donation collections. If the numbers start to rebound, we will open donations again and make a general announcement.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JANUARY 19, 2025
Three Kings Day

Several events took place on the Saint Edmund campus celebrating Epiphany Sunday also known as Three Kings Day by our migrant sisters and brothers. In the morning, once again a display of more than 50 creches from around the world were on display. This celebration has now become an annual event as we honor the story of the flight of the Holy Family to a foreign land to protect their newborn Son. Many people then had the opportunity to cross the street to tour Centro San Edmundo (formerly Saint Edmund School) to see where much of the ministry’s activities take place.

Later in the day, many of the families who have been resettled by the Migrant Ministry gathered in the gym at Centro San Edmundo for fellowship, games, and refreshments. It was a chance to meet other families who have been resettled and the mentors who have been helping them get apartments, furniture, and other items needed to make a home here.

The Migrant Ministry would not be possible without volunteers and your generous donations. We are in great need of volunteers as many of our regular volunteers head south for the winter.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JANUARY 12, 2025
Know Your Rights

With the coming changes to the administration, our migrant families, along with their mentors, the Immigration Support volunteers and our volunteer lawyers are beginning preparations to ensure they have all the necessary documents. We are particularly focused on ensuring that the children will be protected.

Many of our mentors have been to Know Your Rights training programs. A binder of information will be available at Centro San Edmundo and copies will be on our Immigrant Ministry Google drive. We will begin to track asylum applications through the court system to be sure appointments are not missed.

We ask for your prayers for our beloved families that we are able to journey with them to full citizenship.

The Migrant Ministry would not be possible without volunteers and your generous donations. We are in great need of volunteers as many of our regular volunteers head south for the winter.

We opened again on January 7, 2025, and will open for LIMITED DONATIONS on Monday, January 13 – See the Limited Donations document linked below!

MINISTRY UPDATE – JANUARY 5, 2025
A Painting Worth A Thousand Words

Esteban Garrido left Ecuador in October 2023. Drug cartels and climate change had turned his once thriving democratic homeland into a land torn apart by violence and economic collapse. After eight days of walking, he arrived at the border between Colombia and Panama. With his artist’s mind, he looked out upon the ocean and contemplated his future. It was dangerous.

He could not return to Ecuador yet he knew the journey ahead of him would be subject to life-threatening forces. He was aware of people drowning trying to cross into Panama by boat and others in the surging rivers of the Darien Gap. He would face difficult terrain, disease, extortion, human trafficking, and unsafe transportation on his way north, and once there, life would still be difficult.

But Esteban’s deep faith propelled him forward and he was able to cross into the United States, eventually making his way to Chicago and to Centro San Edmundo. Esteban is one of the single men whom the Migrant Ministry is accompanying as he learns to navigate life in this country. It was with Esteban in mind that the third floor art room of the former Saint Edmund School was restored.

In gratitude, Esteban recently gifted the Migrant Ministry with a painting that captures his emotional turmoil as he began his journey north. As he explained to the volunteers gathered before starting a Ministry Morning, there was light in the midst of turmoil. For him, the Migrant Ministry has been part of that light.

The Migrant Ministry would not be possible without volunteers and your generous donations. We are in great need of volunteers as many of our regular volunteershead south for the winter. We are closed now for the holidays, opening again on January 7. We open for LIMITED DONATIONS on Monday, January 13 – See Donation List Below!

MINISTRY UPDATE – DECEMBER 29, 2024
Three Kings Day

There are many ways to celebrate Three Kings Day, which is also known as the Feast of the Epiphany. Migrant Ministry has two celebrations happening that day. Our migrant families will be gathering in the afternoon from 3 pm to 5 pm at Centro San Edmundo in the gym on 2nd floor to celebrate with games, songs, and Kings cake. We are hoping this will be an opportunity for them to meet and celebrate with each other. This is hard to do, because many of them have very busy work schedules.

At that time, we will also be introducing our families to ESL tutors. Learning English is the top priority of our mentorship program and is proving to be the most difficult. Learning a new language is difficult especially for adults. The children are doing much better because they are immersed in it at school. Our hope is to create a more one-to-one program meeting the needs of the individual families schedule. If you are experienced with ESL teaching, we could use your help. Please contact us through immigrantministry@gmail.com.

From 9 am to 1 pm on January 5, we will once again display nativity scenes from around the world in Murphy Hall on the Saint Edmund Campus – More information can be found above – Please join us in celebrating this joyous occasion!

MINISTRY UPDATE – DECEMBER 22, 2024
Stories That Reflect Hope

The theme of our Catholic Community of Oak Park’s Advent devotions is MAKE ROOM FOR HOPE. Advent is the season of HOPE and HOPE is often conveyed through the telling of stories. The Migrant Ministry is full of stories of God’s grace and mercy shown through the asylum-seekers, the volunteers, and the larger community. In light of the very uncertain future for our brother and sister migrants, we hold tightly to these stories.

Alfonso is a bilingual, bicultural freshman at Dominican University. He is the first in his family to attend college and has volunteered multiple times at Centro San Edmundo. Recently he was assigned to be the door greeter for the coat room. It is not an easy position as his job was to check each migrant’s registration card to make sure they have not been issued a coat in the past. We must stick to our policy of one coat per migrant per season, but there are often difficult situations to navigate. At the end of the session, Alfonso asked one of the volunteers if he could take a coat. The volunteer agreed, knowing Alfonso’s humble background and thinking he needed a coat.

We learned later that Alfonso had given his own coat away to a migrant.

This same generosity is seen in our partnership with Sears Pharmacy. The volunteer Loyola physicians call in the migrants’ prescriptions to Sears and the owner-pharmacist, himself an immigrant from Palestine, fills the prescription at a deep discount. Recently Sears pharmacy granted the Migrant Ministry $500 credit towards the migrants’ medications.

MINISTRY UPDATE – DECEMBER 15, 2024
A Home for Christmas

The resettlement volunteers for Migrant Ministry have been working since 2022 to find housing for migrant families and then to furnish it and help with all the items needed to turn an empty apartment into a home. We are pleased that right before Christmas we will be resettling our fifteenth family. This does not include the three individual men we have resettled and several other families we have assisted with a few months of rent when they ran into financial issues. It does not include the other families who have received household goods and furniture items.

We appreciate Catholic Charities paying for a few months of rent for some of these families through their Parish Family Partnership Program. We ensure the landlords that rent will be paid through the first year and try to have the family start paying a part of that expense within six to nine months. We are only able to do this because of your generous donations.

We appreciate the volunteers who find apartments, furniture, review leases, interview new families, store household items, and make the moves happen. Then the mentors take over and walk with the families to make them feel at home. Welcome home, Family #15. We are so happy that you will be part of our community just in time for Christmas.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many donors, but we need to clear our backlog of unsorted donations before closing for the holidays. Starting Monday, December 16, donations will be halted until further notice. We will check in again after the New Year!

MINISTRY UPDATE – DECEMBER 8, 2024
First Thanksgiving Dinner

The Saint Edmund Church community has a long tradition of delivering Thanksgiving meals to the homebound and sharing a Thanksgiving dinner with those who may be alone for the holiday. For the second year in a row, recently arrived migrants from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia were invited to Saint Edmund for their first Thanksgiving dinner.

It was a huge success! As the event is a community meal with guests invited to bring a side dish, migrants shared their traditional food – arepas – a stuffed tortilla made with corn meal, as they tried turkey, dressing, cranberries, and pumpkin pie for the first time. The consensus on the part of the Oak Parkers and the migrants? Delicious! ¡Delicioso!

A huge THANK YOU to Saint Edmund Kitchen Queens, Joanne Lewandowski and Linda Leonard for hosting the event and warmly welcoming 25 migrants. Indeed, we are called by our faith to Welcome the Stranger, and we did as we shared a meal of blessings and gratitude.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many donors, but we do fall behind on the sorting.

MINISTRY UPDATE – DECEMBER 1, 2024
Preparing for Change

As we approach Advent and the Christmas season, we are preparing our migrant brothers and sisters for change. With the change in administration coming in January, we know that many of the people we serve are very nervous. “If I filed for Asylum could I be deported?” “Will we be separated from our children?” “What are my rights if Border Patrol comes to my door?”

The Migrant Ministry’s Immigration Support Services are meeting every Tuesday and Thursday morning with migrant families to answer their questions. These are all volunteers: intake people, Immigration Attorneys, other attorneys, even some retired lawyers are stepping up to help.

This entire group has started to meet to determine needed changes in our assistance to help keep them safe and to be sure we are complying with all the regulations and laws. We are only able to do this because of your support. Please continue to keep the ministry in your prayers. We believe that we are so lucky to serve these amazing grateful people.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many donors, but are facing a backlog of donations that we have not had time to sort.

MINISTRY UPDATE – NOVEMBER 24, 2024
So Many Reasons to be Grateful!

A migrant straightens his shoulders and stands a little taller as he looks at himself in the mirror. He’s trying on a nice set of clothes and he’s quietly pleased with how he looks. His eyes tear up a bit, and he comments to the volunteer that it has been so long since he felt good about himself.

The Migrant Ministry is filled with these quiet victories. Parents select warm winter coats for themselves and their children. A newly-arrived migrant finds a new pair of shoes to replace the pair he wore out on the long trip north. Leaving an overcrowded shelter, a family moves into an apartment and begins to build their new life in the U.S. With the help of the legal team, a young man submits his asylum application. Another young man learns enough English to fill out a job application himself – and gets a well-paying job at O’Hare. A couple that has been living together for many years is finally able to be married.

These stories and so many others are possible because of the willingness of our parishes’ leadership to open the former Saint Edmund School building to the needs of our migrant brothers and sisters, and to the generosity of our volunteers and donors with their time, talent, and treasure. We join the nearly 13,000 migrants who have been served by the Migrant Ministry since June 2023 in expressing our deepest gratitude.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many donors, but are facing a backlog of donations that we have not had time to sort.

MINISTRY UPDATE – NOVEMBER 17, 2024
ALLYance Student Group Visits

Recently, several members of Dominican University’s Undocumented and Immigrant ALLYance student group came to tour Centro San Edmundo. After the tour, the students met with Celine in the children’s room to discuss possibilities for collaborating. One of the students became very emotional and shared with the group how a church had helped him and his family when they crossed the border. Although he was a little boy at the time, he still vividly remembered the kindness of that church. He felt grateful that we are doing the same for the migrants and offered to return to help. A few days later he returned to sort donations and then again the next day to help serve the migrants on a Ministry Morning bringing along five more bilingual, bicultural Dominican students to volunteer too! The students LOVED assisting the migrants. We are so grateful for everyone’s generosity so that we can continue this circle of kindness!

MINISTRY UPDATE – NOVEMBER 10, 2024
HALLOWEEN IS FOR REAL

A migrant mother commented to a volunteer that when she was growing up in Venezuela and watched American movies depicting Halloween, she thought it was a fantasy. She couldn’t believe children and families dressed in costumes and went house to house, knocking on doors to be handed candy! The concept was so far removed from the economic reality of Venezuela. On Halloween morning, the Migrant Ministry volunteers showed that Halloween is for real. Volunteers came dressed in costume and dozens of donated costumes were made available for the parents to select for their children – and themselves. About mid-morning, the parade started! Caped heroes, princesses, dinosaurs, firemen, and other characters marched through the hallways to the welcoming cheers (and bowls of candy) of the volunteers.

Our efforts within the Migrant Ministry were captured by the beautiful little girl in a monarch butterfly costume. Monarchs, who have to migrate to survive, symbolize the noble migrant population we serve. What an honor to play a small part in their journey!

Interested in volunteering? Please contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com – We are in particular need of a team of volunteers for Saturday who can help coordinate ESL and other programs. We continue to need coats, gloves, and warm winter clothes. Check out our updated Wish List by clicking the button below.

MINISTRY UPDATE – NOVEMBER 3, 2024
DID YOU KNOW?

Our data collection has not always been as good as it is now. However, we estimate that since we started Migrant Ministry Mornings, we have assisted 13,000 migrants. That is thanks to your help and donations. We know that the breakfasts are all donated food and that the cost is over $3 per person. That is a lot of food. The first six months of 2024, we were serving about 1,000 migrants / month. That went down to about 500 migrants / month in September. With the colder weather the numbers have started to increase. During the 2nd week of October we helped about 500 people, most seeking winter gear. Other data:

• 40% of adults who registered this month were coming for the first time.
• 33% of adults who came have been in the US less than two months.
• 62% of adults coming live in shelters.
• The percentage of Venezuelans has dropped from 70% to 60% but Ecuadorians has increased from 12% to 23%.
• We have given away a lot of shoes.

Thanks to Don Woznica for all this information.

If you are able to help, contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – OCTOBER 27, 2024
NOW THE ASK(S)

We have enjoyed writing these Migrant Ministry Updates, sharing news and reflecting on the ministry, its impact, and the evident presence of the Holy Spirit. But after it turned cold and our numbers soared, it’s time for the “asks.” Urgently.

For the past six months or so, our donations matched our needs. We glided through the summer and early fall. But as the weather got colder, we brought the winter coats out of storage, purchased coat racks, and prepared a special room just for coat distribution in mid-October.

In the first week alone, our numbers surged and we attended over 320 migrants who also shopped for an additional 170 family members not physically present because of work or school. Yikes! Our coat supply for men, women and children was severely depleted, as was our stock of winter gear, boots, blankets, sheets, towels, and overall warm winter clothing.

Please consider donating these very needed items. Financial donations will allow us to purchase coats from thrift stores and online. And if you have any to spare – HALLOWEEN COSTUMES! We are planning a Halloween parade (complete with candy) during our Migrant Ministry Morning on October 31.

If you are able to help, contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – OCTOBER 13, 2024
SOLIDARITY

The incredible Migrant Ministry volunteers are creative, hardworking, and dedicated to meeting the needs of our asylum-seeking brothers and sisters. Many are fluent in Spanish; others are learning more each day. There is obviously a deep mutual affection shared among the volunteers and the migrants. But there is one thing most of us do not share with the migrants – the experience of growing up as an immigrant in a foreign land where you don’t speak the language and work opportunities are limited.

Dominican University in River Forest, a Hispanic-Serving Institution with a large number of DACA students, has begun to partner with the Migrant Ministry in a variety of ways. One student group, the UNDOCUMENTED & IMMIGRANT ALLYANCE (creative spelling noted) is sponsoring a storytelling session on Tuesday, October 15 at Centro San Edmundo in honor of National Stand with an Immigrant Student Day. The target audience is migrant youth, and the goal is to share stories and instill hope of someday attending college.

The text of the Spanish-language flyer pictured above captures the goal beautifully:

UNITED AS IMMIGRANTS – We are university students. We are also immigrants and children of immigrants. We have walked the same path you are starting. Let’s get to know each other. We want to share our histories and listen to yours. We hope to create relationships, spread hope, and model perseverance.

If you are able to help, contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – OCTOBER 6, 2024
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCH

Following a busy Thursday morning serving our migrant sisters and brothers at Centro San Edmundo (CSE), nearly 60 volunteers assembled for lunch and to celebrate the work they are doing. After a brief summary from the leaders of the ministry Sister Mary Jo Curtslinger CSJ spoke to the volunteers encouraging them to consider the ways they have grown personally through their volunteer time at CSE. Sister Mary Jo holds a doctorate from CTU and came with much experience having been to the southern border a number of times. She asked: “Having ministered here at Migrant Ministry, have you experienced personal growth?” For most, the answer was yes. Seeing the gratitude of the migrants has left a sense of profound gratitude for the opportunity to be part of this effort. Thank you to all our volunteers!

If you are able to help, contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 29, 2024
CONSTANTLY IN AWE

This past week, lead volunteer Don Woznica struck up a conversation with two women who arrived early to Centro San Edmundo. Don is fluent in Spanish and frequently converses with the migrants to learn more about them – where they are from, in what shelter they are living, and how we can best serve them. The two women told him that they were currently living in the Elston Shelter and they had awakened early in the morning to begin WALKING to Centro San Edmundo.

The Elston Shelter is located at 1308 N Elston near the Morton Salt Shed. It is 8.2 miles from Centro San Edmundo. It took them 3 hours to walk to Centro San Edmundo.

We are in awe of the migrants we serve but are also constantly challenged as to how we can serve them better. In addition to the “free stores,” we provide social services, ESL, legal services and occasionally, health care. Adding long-term services is important as the migrants settle into life in the Chicago area. We are looking to form a team to help administer the Saturday ESL classes as the current administrator needs to step down.

If you are able to help, contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
NEED HELP WITH ASYLUM APPLICATIONS

It’s crunch time for many of the migrants we serve. The migrants enter this country legally as asylum seekers, protected under international law. They have one year to submit their asylum application. For many migrants who crossed the border during the surge last fall, their time is running out and many have sought assistance from Centro San Edmundo (CSE).

If you are an attorney willing to volunteer a few hours once a month with our migrant brothers and sisters, we could use your help. A specialty in immigration law is not required. We can provide an interpreter. There are two ways you can help:

Thursday morning Legal Assistance Clinic which consists of 15-minute consults to help migrants understand their legal documents and the next steps. A bilingual support team assists with interpretation and translation of documents.

Once-a-month Asylum Application Workshops. This is a traveling team headed by a bilingual immigration lawyer from Ascension – Saint Edmund. A team consisting of the immigration lawyer and support personal help migrants who have completed their application in Spanish finish the process by having the lawyer review the application and then get it translated.

A week ago, we hosted an Asylum Workshop at CSE. We had more than 20 applicants attend with about half of them completing their asylum application. With a second attorney, we could have doubled that number. If you are able to help, contact us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 16, 2024
BACK TO SCHOOL!

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE – Because of your donations, we were able to provide school supplies to almost 170 students. We couldn’t provide everything on the list for the various ages of migrant children at all the different schools, but we were able to cover the basics. Brand new pencils, pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, notebooks, erasers, looseleaf paper, and scissors added to the children’s excitement for a new school year. God bless them! For most of the children, it is a new school year in a new country and in a different language. The parents were also excited for their children as they lined up in the hall for the supplies. The economic and political situation in Venezuela has caused their school system to effectively collapse, so parents and children were quite anxious to get back to learning.

Overall, the school experience has been very positive for the children. Most of the children are in bilingual Chicago Public Schools, but those who are in English-only schools receive assistance. And the children work hard. One migrant mother proudly showed the diploma her son had received for being the student champion of the month!

We are preparing for the cooler weather and setting up our coat room. Donated coat racks are most welcome!

If you would like to help with resettling a family, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com. You could help by paying for all or part of the rent for a year, or you could help by mentoring a family.

MINISTRY UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

Once again we want to share some stories from the families resettled by the Migrant Ministry of Catholic Parishes of Oak Park:

Having come to us only last August, all of the families (there were 3 sharing a house) are just about independent, and all of them express such gratitude for helping them get to this point. One couple found a new place all on their own, negotiated the lease, got utilities hooked up with virtually no help, and managed their move. The two other families will continue to share the house they all were in and can cover rent because all the adults are working. The little girls are learning English at a fast clip and the baby boy is happily in a childcare setting and thriving. Everyone is moving forward with their immigration cases. These families are a testament to what an enormous difference the Migrant Ministry support can make in a very short period of time as well as the ripple effect these investments make.

One family member starts Morton College this week. He took a tour and was offered ESL and GED classes at no charge and two years of credit classes at no charge after completing GED.

One mother shared with us a photo of her son on his way to kindergarten. When he arrived in Chicago, he was having trouble with speech and Migrant Ministry was able to find housing for the family and then provide speech therapy sessions for the son. His mom says in a text: “I am very grateful to you because without you, none of this would have been possible. God bless you all. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you are doing for us.”

If you would like to help with resettling a family, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com. You could help by paying for all or part of the rent for a year, or you could help by mentoring a family.

MINISTRY UPDATE – AUGUST 18, 2024
Making the Shift to Winter Clothing

The last day to donate summer items to the Migrant Ministry Program at Centro San Edmundo will be Monday, August 19. It is time to shift to cold weather items especially winter coats, boots, hats, and gloves. The people we serve come from warm climates, and weather we think is mild seems quite chilly to them. There is the added fact that many of them are sleeping in less-than-ideal spaces.

We will also continue to collect school supplies and clothes. Because the children we serve will be attending diverse schools, we are collecting generic school supplies to supplement what children may receive from local drives. Likewise, generic school uniforms such as tan, blue, white, or maroon polo shirts and tan, black, or blue school pants.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – AUGUST 11, 2024
Celebrate the Children!

Undoubtedly, the happiest place in Centro San Edmundo is the children’s playroom. Retired CPS teacher Lynn Mathis oversees the playroom and is assisted by dedicated volunteers who get down on the floor to play with the children. It is so special, so beautiful, because children who still carry the trauma they experienced in their home country and on the dangerous trip up north can be children. They dress up as princesses, play with trucks, crawl through tunnels, and sculpt with clay. In the toy kitchen, they prepare delicious meals of plastic food which they feed to the volunteers. At the end of the morning, each child leaves with a stuffed animal and a small bag of toys. Children can play, create, and imagine. What a beautiful space.

School will be starting soon and the children we serve will be entering mostly Chicago Public Schools. A school supply drive has been started to supplement whatever the children might receive from their schools or local organizations. We are requesting generic school supplies such as pencils, pens, folders, crayons, markers, notebooks, glue sticks, colored pencils, rulers, pencil sharpeners, child-safe scissors, and backpacks.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JULY 28, 2024
The Migrant Ministry Connects

The Migrant Ministry connects us with a purpose greater than ourselves. That is one of the many reasons volunteers show up every Tuesday and Thursday, week after week, month after month, for over a year.

The Migrant Ministry connects us to asylum-seekers whom we admire and whom we would never have met without the Ministry. When we listen to their stories and their dreams for a life in this country, we are in awe.

The Migrant Ministry connects us to other volunteers. Many times, it is a re-connection, but most often we are meeting (and becoming close friends with) people completely outside our normal circles.

The Migrant Ministry connects us to resources and organizations beyond our bubble. So many organizations we never heard of before have reached out to us because of their shared desire to support the migrants.

The Migrant Ministry connects us as the Oak Park Catholic Community, with other faith centers, and to the “unchurched.” We are no longer operating in silos but as people moved by faith to “welcome the stranger.”

It’s got to be the work of the Holy Spirit!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JULY 21, 2024
Thank You from a Migrant Family

Whenever we welcome a new migrant family for resettlement our one wish and goal for them is that they will achieve independence. On July 12, we moved a family of six into an apartment, with that same prayer. It was our thirteenth family, along with two single men. That week we received this text from a family we had resettled less than one year ago. They have reached that goal. This is all because of your help and support. Thank you.

SPANISH TEXT – Buenas noches, disculpe la hora, quería escribirle para decirle formalmente que ya no necesitaremos los apoyos económicos y de comida de la iglesia, quería agradecerle grandemente por todo su apoyo. Mil Gracias a usted, a la iglesia y todos los voluntarios de la iglesia que nos regalaron parte de su tiempo, de su cariño y de su atención. Gracias por querer a mi familia y espero no perder contacto con ustedes que le abrieron la puerta a mi familia en el momento que más lo necesitamos. Un abrazo fuerte. att: Familia Guerra Mieres

ENGLISH TRANSLATION – Good evening, sorry for the time, I wanted to write to you to tell you formally that we will no longer need the economic and food support of the church. I wanted to thank you very much for all your support. Thank you to the church and all the volunteers of the church who gave us part of your time, your affection and your attention. Thank you for loving my family, and I hope I don’t lose contact with you who opened the door to my family at the time we need it most. A big hug. Att: Guerra Mieres family.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JULY 14, 2024
What A Year! So Much To Celebrate!

On June 27, we celebrated our first anniversary of the Migrant Ministry Mornings. It was on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 that we welcomed our first group of asylum-seeking migrants sleeping at the District 15 Chicago police station to the closed rectory of Saint Catherine-Saint Lucy so they could take showers. We served a simple breakfast and provided new underwear and socks.

One year later, we are working out of the former Saint Edmund School (now called Centro San Edmundo) with three large classrooms operating as “free stores.” Another classroom is a delightful playroom for children. We serve a hot breakfast and provide social services, ESL classes, health care, spiritual accompaniment, and immigration support services. The third floor has been restored into an art room, and we are sponsoring a clinic at the end of the month with a volunteer immigration lawyer to help fifteen migrants complete their asylum application.

We serve approximately 250 migrants per week and estimate that in the past year we have served between 15,000 and 16,000 migrants. And of course, our HOUSING MINISTRY has resettled eleven families and has agreed to settle another family of six.

All of this has been accomplished due to your generous support and the amazing dedication of the volunteers. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JULY 7, 2024
Immigration Support Services

These posters began to appear around Centro San Edmundo this week announcing the latest program beginning there. A few months ago, our volunteers at Migrant Ministry Mornings told us that they were getting many questions about immigration that they were not able to answer. With the help of trained volunteers, we have started Immigration Support Services on Thursday mornings from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. The services by the trained volunteers include:

• Assistance to start the asylum or TPS application
• Translation of birth certificates or other documents
• Change of venue for immigration court dates
• ITIN Applications

Later in the summer, we hope to also include a visiting immigration attorney on a rotating basis. If you would like to volunteer to help with this important new service, please contact us at the email below.

Our Migrant Ministry Mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays continue to provide breakfast, clothing, blankets, toiletries, and now even more. The Housing Program is working to provide a home for a family of six. We are looking for an apartment and volunteers to accompany them.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JUNE 30, 2024
Featured on WTTW

WTTW’s multi-platform, multi-year initiative FIRSTHAND focuses on the firsthand experience of people facing critical issues in Chicago. This past week, WTTW launched a series on the migrant experience in Chicago and featured one of the asylum-seekers resettled by the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park.

Esteban Garrido is an Ecuadoran artist who had to leave his home country for political and economic reasons. He was living at O’Hare when he found his way to Centro San Edmundo and eventually became one of two single men and ten families whom we have resettled. Esteban is one of the migrant artists who will benefit from the art room at Saint Edmund that we are currently refurbishing.

CLICK HERE to see the amazing and beautiful short documentary on Esteban – The film is about eleven minutes long, and at about minute five, the Migrant Ministry at Saint Edmund is featured. We also recommend that you watch the other four documentaries capturing the migrant stories of our new neighbors. Take the time to read and reflect on the discussion questions. The discussion questions on Esteban’s story specifically call out Saint Edmund and poses the question about the role of faith centers in welcoming migrants.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JUNE 23, 2024
¿Somos una Iglesia?

Our asylum-seeking brothers and sisters whom we serve through the Migrant Ministry consistently refer to Centro San Edmundo (the former Saint Edmund School) as “la iglesia” (the church). For a long time, we corrected them, explaining that the church was the building across the street with all the scaffolding, that we were located in the former school building.

“Entiendo” (“I understand”), they would answer… and then later refer to the Centro again as “la iglesia.”

For a variety of reasons, many of the volunteers who have been helping out at the Centro twice a week for almost a year have stopped attending church. They describe Centro San Edmundo and the Migrant Ministry as their “church.” The work and the mission fill their spirits. They return week after week, often bringing friends and family members along to share the joy and love they are experiencing.

Are the migrants correct when they refer to the Centro as “church?” What do we mean by “church?” Let’s Google it. Check out the Google map. The side entrance to the school (which has no address) has been marked with the church symbol and the Spanish words for “help” and “clothes.”

Faith in action is faith. Faith in a loving God who brings us together. Thank you so much for your ongoing support of the Migrant Ministry!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JUNE 16, 2024
Thank You to the High School Students!

Yay for the Youth who have added so much energy and enthusiasm to the Migrant Ministry! The Trinity Blazers earlier this year took up a collection raising in excess of $6,000 for the Migrant Ministry. Wishing to have a more hands-on experience, twelve girls signed up for a Blazer Service Day last Thursday, helping to distribute clothing and other supplies to the migrants.

Oak Park River Forest High School’s (OPRFHS) Huskies for Hope have been providing service hours for more than a year. Projects included collecting quarters so migrants could do laundry, helping to pick up bales of winter coats, loading and unloading bags and bags of donated clothing, and volunteering on Ministry Mornings. Next year’s co-presidents of Huskies for Hope will spend the summer organizing games for older children in the 2nd floor gym.

And three students from an OPRFHS Civic Class as a service-learning project collected donations at a variety of athletic events and presented Migrant Ministry with $600. What a gift the youth are to our ministry! Thank you!

Our Migrant Ministry Mornings are expanding. The most recent count is reaching over 300 people per week for breakfast, clothing, blankets, toiletries. The Housing Program has been asked to provide a home for a family of six. We are looking for an apartment and volunteers to accompany them.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JUNE 9, 2024
Count on the Nuns!

An average of about 250 migrants every week visit Centro San Edmundo in search of clothes, shoes, blankets, towels, jackets, and personal hygiene products. With our new card system, we can control how many of the highly-desired items the visitors can take, but we often have to limit certain items like blankets and towels to one per family per visit.

And still we run out of these highly desired items. Our supply of blankets and towels has been lean for a couple of weeks and last week we ran out completely. Darn! As a ministry, we purchase underwear, socks, and toiletries, but for everything else we depend on in-kind donations.

In stepped the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of LaGrange with an enormous donation of blankets and towels, so much that Sr. Jackie Schmitz CSJ (a regular volunteer with Centro San Edmundo) reported that her car was so packed she couldn’t see out the back window. She was afraid she would get pulled over. The volunteers who coordinate the blanket and towel donations were absolutely giddy. It gets cool at night in the shelters but now the migrants seeking blankets will not leave disappointed.

The CSJs know how to get things done! They have an enormous network of supporters and admirers and they know when and how to tap into that network. And didn’t we all learn as children to obey the nuns? THANK YOU, SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF LA GRANGE!!!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – JUNE 2, 2024
Welcoming the Migrant Children!

The housing volunteers of Migrant Ministry have welcomed 17 children since we began finding homes for migrants. These children range in age from 18 years old to newborns, including one born here early this year. These children have weathered unimaginable hardships, lack of food and clothing. The stories are hard to hear: being carried through the jungle and the desert, traveling on top of a train while being held by mom, living in a van on Chicago streets. We have already heard about sleeping on the police station floors or in tents outside during some harsh weather. They have been exposed to all sorts of infections; one child was recently hospitalized with pneumonia. At least one child with elevated lead levels. They have had to leave behind beloved grandparents and school friends and, in some cases, siblings who have remained behind with family members. The grief and trauma are hard to imagine.

We have done our best to welcome them, and they are so grateful for the simplest toy. The smiles are so beautiful. You have made this possible with your donations of money, gift cards, clothing and food. Thank you also to the Oak Park and Berwyn schools for the welcome they have extended to the students. Imagine arriving at the first day of school with minimum language skills.

Our Tuesday / Thursday program is expanding. The most recent count is that over 250 people come each week for breakfast, clothing, blankets, toiletries. The English language classes are continuing and have now expanded to Saturday morning.

If you would like to volunteer for any of these programs, please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MAY 26, 2024
Restoring the Art Room!

Thank you so much, members of the St Catherine-St Lucy and St Giles Parish who volunteered last Sunday to paint the 3rd floor art room of St. Edmund School – What a team! What a great job! What a wonderful space!

Under the guidance of Migrant Ministry Super handymen Mike Doyle and Phil Hausken who spent days spackling and preparing the walls in anticipation of painting, teams of families and teens transformed the beautiful but tired room into a space where creativity and healing can take place through art. It is what the Migrant Ministry had dreamed of since the first day we toured the former St. Edmund’s School and entered the space tucked under the eaves of the classic Gothic structure. Art is such a powerful tool for storytelling, self-expression, and healing. What a gift this space is for our asylum-seeking brothers and sisters. We anticipate three uses for the space: 1) an art studio for the artist-migrants we have identified; 2) art classes for migrant children; and 3) art therapy sessions.

The next step is to equip the room with a wide variety of art supplies. How about it? Any old art supplies gathering dust in your basement? Abandoned art projects? Art tables? Easels you would like to move along? We can use them! Please email us at immigrantministry@gmail.com.

Last week we provided shoes, clothing, towels, toiletries, blankets, and other supplies to almost 300 migrants, severely depleting our supply. Please check the list below for most-needed items. All items must be clean, washable, and in good condition. Thank you for your support of the Migrant Ministry.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MAY 19, 2024
Celebrate Volunteers!

In his homily on Ascension Sunday, Fr. Rex reminded us that when Christ ascended into heaven, it was not the end but the beginning. The beginning of Church. The beginning of living the new command: Love one another as I have loved you. This past week the Migrant Ministry honored the volunteers who embody the Church, living the new command in loving service to our migrant brothers and sisters.

A midday luncheon (of Venezuelan arepas and empanadas) can hardly repay the hours, days, and months that over 300 volunteers have worked to make the Migrant Ministry so successful. Volunteers contribute their most valuable assets – time and attention. We honor the volunteers who come every Monday to sort and store bags and bags of donations. We are grateful to the volunteers who staff the distribution rooms on Tuesdays and Thursdays, helping migrants select clothes, shoes, blankets, toiletries, and other basic supplies. We cherish the breakfast team that dishes up smiles and nourishing food and the “abuelos” more than happy to engage children in the playroom while their parents select items to take home. Gracias to the ESL team dedicated to helping our New Neighbors to learn English and the developing legal team ready to assist the migrants in completing their immigration forms. An amazing Housing Ministry team searches for reasonably-priced apartments in the area, works with the landlords on the lease, sets up the utilities, and collects donated furniture and household goods for the migrant families’ new home. A “mentor” team then steps in to accompany the families as they navigate life in the U.S.

Yes, we are blessed by our volunteers who in return, feel they are blessed by the migrants.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MAY 12, 2024
The Ascension of the Lord

Thank you to donors and volunteers! – Because of your donations of money, clothing, food and much, more, Migrant Ministry is now supporting 11 families and two individual men in 9 separate, stable households. We estimate that we have helped with 9,000-10,000 visits from migrant men, women, and children at the Tuesday/Thursday mornings for food, clothing, toiletries, diapers, medical visits and ESL classes. We are helping with the immediate needs at Centro San Edmundo and long-term needs through the housing programs. All because of your donations. Thank you.

A special thank you to all those who walked or donated money at the CROP Hunger Walk. Migrant Ministry will be a recipient of a portion of the local funds raised. All global funds raised from the CROP Hunger Walk go to CWS (Church World Service) which provides services to the migrants as they travel north. Eighteen of the migrants were able to return the favor by walking to raise money for CWS here in Oak Park proudly waving their Venezuelan flag. Thank you all for the opportunity to support this organizations, too.

Our Tuesday and Thursday program is expanding. The most recent count is about 300-350 people coming each week for breakfast, clothing, blankets, toiletries. The English language classes are continuing and have now expanded to Saturday morning.

Our numbers continue to grow for our breakfast and “free store” distribution of clothes, shoes, bedding, light jackets, and toiletries. That means we are in great need of donations! Please review the Spring Shopping List below. We are most in need of gym shoes and sandals for men, women, and children, summer T-shirts and shorts, new underwear, towels, and toiletries. Thank you for your donation!

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MINISTRY UPDATE – MAY 5, 2024
Trinity Donation, Saturday ESL Classes, Legal Assistance!

The Migrant Ministry has so much to celebrate! The amazing young women of Trinity High School’s Social Justice Club raised $6,575 during a recent Spirit Week for the Migrant Ministry. The students created a variety of fun activities to raise the money and then proudly presented the check to Migrant Ministry leaders Margie Rudnik and Celine Woznica (who were so overwhelmed they actually got a little teary-eyed!). Thank you so much, Trinity Blazers!!!

Saturday morning ESL classes have started to complement the Tuesday / Thursday classes that have been offered since last summer. The first Saturday, not one student showed up. Then we spread the word that parents can bring their children if necessary. Twenty-three adults came ready to learn English while their children played in an adjacent room. The program will continue to grow as the word spreads. Yay! Our ESL program is run by volunteers with extensive ESL experience and education.

Our legal assistance program is getting organized with volunteers spending time at various workshops and other events to learn how to help migrants fill out their forms for Temporary Protective Status and for Asylum. Volunteer lawyers from our parishes are offering to review the completed forms.

Our numbers continue to grow for our breakfast and “free store” distribution of clothes, shoes, bedding, light jackets, and toiletries. That means we are in great need of donations! Please review the Spring Shopping List below. We are most in need of gym shoes and sandals for men, women, and children, summer T-shirts and shorts, new underwear, towels, and toiletries. Thank you for your donation!

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MINISTRY UPDATE – APRIL 28, 2024
Welcoming More Families

Migrant Ministry is proudly supporting eight households with 9 families and 2 single men, thirty-six people total. We moved two families into an apartment last week. It is a beautiful place with much light and terrific furniture and household items, mostly donated. We plan to move another family into an apartment before the end of April. A single man with his sister and her family, four more people who were living in a van. Thank you all for your support for these families.

The housing part of this ministry has amazing volunteers who search for apartments, furniture and household items. And lots of volunteers who accompany these families once they are moved in. We could use more volunteers to accompany our families. Please consider this volunteer opportunity. It is so rewarding watching a new family settle in and become part of our community.

Our Tuesday and Thursday program is also expanding. The most recent count had more than 360 people coming for breakfast, clothing, blankets, toiletries. The English language classes are continuing.

After having closed donations to deal with overstock, we are now fully open again but only for the items linked below. We are most in need of gym shoes and sandals for men, women, and children, summer T-shirts and shorts, towels, and toiletries. Thank you for your donation!

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MINISTRY UPDATE – APRIL 21, 2024
Good Things Happening, Numbers Are Up!

So many good things are happening! The wife and infant daughter of one of our leading migrant volunteers finally made it to Chicago after a harrowing trip up north that started in December. We are so happy for you, Saul and Maria! Another exciting development is the inclusion of asylum-seekers in our Migrant Ministry CROP Walk team, providing the opportunity for the migrants to raise money for the organization (CWS) that fed them as they emerged from the Darien Gap. Inspiring!

Similar to what occurred in 2023, the number of migrants arriving to Chicago slowed down for the first three months of this year but are now beginning to increase. We are certainly seeing that on our Migrant Ministry days at Centro San Edmundo. The first week of April, we saw 280 migrants; the second week the number increased to 320 and many of them were very recent arrivals, having just arrived three days earlier.

After having closed donations to deal with overstock, we are now fully open again but only for the items linked below. We are most in need of gym shoes and sandals for men, women, and children, summer T-shirts and shorts, towels, and toiletries. Thank you for your donation!

MINISTRY UPDATE – APRIL 14, 2024
Migrant Ministry Continues!

The transitional shelter at Centro San Edmundo (in the former St. Edmund School Building) has now closed as of April 5. Our congratulations to the Oak Park Resettlement Team that so quickly and effectively relocated the many families.

Our Migrant Ministry continues. We continue to run the program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings hosting our migrant brothers and sisters and of course the children, many children. We invite them for breakfast, for a change of clothes and shoes and coats. Then there is the opportunity to sit quietly over a cup of chocolate or coffee and tell their stories to the many volunteers there to listen. Even if the listening is through cell phones using Google translate. The link to everything that is needed is below. Right now, one of the biggest needs is blankets and towels. They don’t need to be new but usable.

Finally, the Housing Team continues to accompany families and will be adding two new families in April and May. We continue to need mentors to accompany them. Spanish speaking is not necessary.

MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 24, 2024
I want to wash their feet…

One of my favorite Holy Week traditions is the washing of each other’s feet on Holy Thursday. Volunteer footwashers process up the aisle carrying white basins, pitchers of water, and clean towels. They spread out across the sanctuary and wash each other’s feet, then invite the congregation to come and have their feet washed. It’s a powerful act of humility and service to wash the feet of the other and allow another to wash your own feet. In this act, we recreate Christ’s call to us to be humble servants and find Christ in one another.

Those of us involved in the Migrant Ministry have found Christ in our brother and sister asylum-seekers. I want to wash their feet, the feet that crossed seven countries and 3000 miles across rivers, over mountains, and through deserts. I want to wash the feet that plodded through the deadly Darien Gap, 66 miles of thick jungle between Colombia and Panama. I want to wash the feet that were cut, twisted, bruised, and blistered but trudged on, carrying children and hopes for a safer and better life in the United States.

I want to wash the feet of Wilmary, a single mother who made the trip with a toddler and a nine-year-old blind son.

I want to wash the feet of Yeiny who lost her husband in the Darien Gap but continued the journey with her three children so as not to shatter the dream they had shared.

I want to wash the feet of Jose Leandro, an indigenous man who fled the drug cartels in Colombia. In the photo above, he holds his tattered and worn shoes before throwing them away because he received new shoes in Chicago.

I want to wash the feet of Luis, battered and bruised because of his sexuality.

Holy Thursday means more to me this year than ever before.

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MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH 17, 2024
Faith Moves Mountains

For those of you who weren’t able to attend the concert, La Fe Mueve Montanas (Faith Moves Mountains) on February 27, 2024, above is an embedded video which will give you a flavor of the evening. This video was created by the Archdiocese of Chicago for their program, “La Hora Católica: Misa y Más,” and aired on March 10, 2024.

We are grateful to GIA Publications, Inc., the sponsor of this program, and to the musicians who participated. It is still possible to make donations to Migrant Ministry through this video.

Click to See More Pictures

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTThank you to everyone who has so kindly donated to the Migrant Ministry! Because of your overwhelming generosity, WE ARE ABLE TO PUT CLOTHING DONATIONS ON PAUSE FOR NOW. You have kept hundreds of families warm and safe in the winter months. Please note that the migrants’ needs will change as we head into Spring – and we will provide an update in the next few weeks. Thank you for your continued support!

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DROP-OFF ITEMS DONATIONS

Only these items are needed – We ask you please to stick to this list:

• Winter boots for men, women, and children are needed as well as shoes.
• Winter Jackets.
• Sweatpants especially for men and boys and leggings for women.
• Hoodies, and layering items, socks, gloves, hats, blankets, suitcases, and sleeping bags.
• New underwear for men, women, and children – Boxer briefs for men in small and medium – Underwear and sports bras for women in small and medium – Underwear for children in all sizes, particularly for boys.

We accept donations of items to the alley door of St. Edmund School on Mondays from 9 am to 12 Noon. Parking will be available across the street behind St. Edmund Church.

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CLOTHING AND PERSONAL CARE ITEMS AND AMAZON WISH LIST

Thank you so much for your ongoing support of the Migrant Ministry – We were closed over the holidays, but reopened on January 13. When making a donation, PLEASE CONSULT THE LIMITED DONATIONS LIST BELOW!

You can also donate through the Amazon Wish List linked below. Thank you!

Donations may be dropped off on Monday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm at Centro San Edmundo previously known as St. Edmund School, 200 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL. Please enter from the Pleasant Avenue door.

Limited Donation List

Click to Donate Through Amazon