Marching in the July 4th Parade - What better way to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday than marching in our local July 4th parade to honor our nation’s history as a welcoming place for immigrants from all over the world! Migrants, volunteers, and supporters marching together, waving flags of various nations and carrying signs that capture this amazing, interfaith effort to welcome and assist our New Neighbors. But what to write on the banner that would lead our contingent? After much thought, we found the perfect wording to follow the name of our organization: E PLURIBUS UNUM. “Out of many, one.”

The motto proposed in 1776 by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson for the first Great Seal of the United States has also been engraved on our coins since 1873. It captures the ideals of our nation since its founding and what the Migrant Ministry upholds today. Not only does the phrase capture the spirit of diverse peoples blending into a unified American identity, but also the diversity of our volunteers from the various local faith centers. Too long siloed, we have been working together “to welcome the stranger” since we opened at the former Saint Catherine of Siena-Saint Lucy rectory three years ago this weekend. How the ministry has grown!

Interested in marching with us for the July 4th parade? Send us an email at [email protected] for more information.

Thank you for making our work possible! Donations are accepted on Monday mornings from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School, 815 Elgin in Forest Park.

Email us at [email protected] with any questions or comments.