For almost three years now, migrants have traveled from across the city to our Ministry Mornings. We are now in our third location and have made adjustments to meet a changing reality, but the mission and vision of the Ministry remain the same... We are a welcoming space for our migrant brothers and sisters... But it has become evident that Centro San Bernardino is increasingly a place of deep encounter... An ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST...

Here we are, Palm Sunday and then the Holiest Days of the year, the celebration of the Sacred Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil... On Holy Thursday, we remember the gift of the Eucharist and Jesus’ commandment to love and serve one another... On Good Friday, we stand quietly at the foot of the cross, recognizing the depth of God’s love poured out for the world... Then in the darkness of the Easter Vigil, light breaks forth again as we proclaim the Resurrection...

Hanging atop a doorway at the end of the corridor, a genuine horseshoe from Churchill Downs in Kentucky now bestows good luck on the volunteers and migrants visiting Centro San Bernardino. It is a gift from SM in gratitude for the assistance he recently received from Migrant Ministry volunteers... Donations are accepted on Mondays at the former Saint Bernardine School... We are now accepting only spring and summer clothing, as well as bedding and shoes...

Attention!!! Lay leadership and co-responsibility are important aspects of vibrant parishes today and for the future. I ask all to please read the information included in this week’s corner. Both Parish Pastoral Councils are in a time of transition and seeking new membership... When recommending a potential Parish Pastoral Council member, please include: Name, Phone Number, Email Address, and a brief description of what gifts this person would bring to the council...

Since the installation of the LISTEN WIFI assistive listening system in the Churches, more and more parishioners have begun using the app and are finding it helpful... We completed an evaluation of our overall sound systems at both Churches... If you are interested in lending your support to the Sound System Project, please contact David Anderson in the coming weeks...

The Migrant Ministry has evolved to meet the changing needs of the migrants we serve!... MM volunteers have been assisting JM, a Venezuelan migrant detained on Jan 13 when he went to the Broadview Center for his ICE check-in and was sent to a facility in Kentucky... A MM volunteer went to the office, paid the bond with money orders, filled out forms, and waited. And waited... What great joy to have daddy home! Celebrate! Release the white balloons! HABEMUS PAPÁ!...

In this fourth week of Lent, the world feels heavy. News of war reminds us how fragile peace can be. At the same time, our nation has paused to remember the life of Jesse Jackson,... At one of the services, Stevie Wonder sang the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”... Lent invites us to make that same choice. When the world feels divided by fear, war, or injustice, the gospel asks us to begin where we are - through prayer, kindness, and the quiet work of reconciliation...

RC began donating quilts to the Migrant Ministry over a year ago, and to date has donated over 40 beautiful handmade quilts that migrants gratefully take home to warm their beds... The pieces of cloth that make up the quilts are diverse... Donations are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School, 815 Elgin in Forest Park... We are now accepting only spring and summer clothing, as well as bedding and shoes...

I want to extend our congratulations to both Deacon Willam Pouncy and Prentice Butler for awards given to them in recognition of their service to the community... We congratulate William on receiving the Augustus Tolton Award for Religious Leadership at the 48th Annual African American Heritage Prayer Service... Prentice received the 32nd Archbishop James P. Lyke African American Male Image Award honoring his service in our community...

One of the clearest ways the Church guides us is through the Corporal Works of Mercy; to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned and to bury the dead... Lent calls us to reflect - not simply on what we give up, but on who we are becoming... the Corporal Works of Mercy offer more than charity, they offer a Christian response... In our restless and wounded world, the Corporal Works of Mercy ground us...

The Migrant Ministry would not be possible without the incredible support of the larger community, manifested through volunteer time, in-kind donations, and financial contributions. We are grateful for the small and large, one-time and monthly monetary donations. How is this money spent?... The Migrant Ministry Leadership Team makes the financial decisions... Starting March 1, we are only accepting spring and warm weather clothing...