What a gift it is to reach a hundred years of age! And what a gift it is to have someone in your life who reminds you that growing older is not simply about counting the years - it is about seeing what those years have taught us. Last weekend I flew to Phoenix for the weekend to celebrate the 100th birthday of a woman who was a former cook for me and became a friend, Alice... Some of life’s greatest gifts are the ones that never go out of style: FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, and a PLACE AT THE TABLE...

The US Catholic Church recently observed National Migration Week which culminated with a Mass at Holy Name Cathedral honoring the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees... According to The Marshall Project, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained over 6,200 children during President Trump’s second term, including 500 babies and toddlers... We are grateful to our Catholic bishops for highlighting the unlawful and inhumane treatment of immigrant and migrant children...

My grandmother’s youngest sister had Down’s Syndrome. Instead of sending her away, my great-grandmother lovingly raised her at home. After my great-grandmother’s death, Eunice was cared for by my grandmother and her five other sisters. As a little girl, I was a bit intimidated by Eunice... It has been a couple of decades since Eunice’s death, but I think of her and how important it was for her to receive sacraments. SPRED (Special Religious Development) is faith formation for people with special needs, from five years to adults...

For the immigrant family the fees keep piling up. Our migrant family accompaniment program is focused on supporting asylum seekers. For those filing an asylum application the application fee is $100 and then an annual renewal fee must be paid of $102... To apply for a work permit the fee varies but is typically $560 and can be as high as $750... We have been able to continue to pay for some fees if needed and for legal support for our families. That is because of your support. Thank you...

Religious life is a particularly beautiful expression of that call. Sisters, brothers, and religious priests give their lives in a unique way to prayer, community, service, education care of the poor, missionary work, and the proclamation of the Gospel... Yet there is another important issue that we cannot ignore. In 2026, the Catholic tradition continues to teach and hold that priestly ordination is reserved to men... The DIGNITY OF BAPTISM belongs equally to women and men...

Thank you to the 50 participants who joined The Neighborhood Bridge for The Austin Landmark Bus Tour on Saturday, September 19. The event was informative and entertaining... Join us for our final fundraiser of the year, a Bears Watch Party at Robert’s Westside music venue in Forest Park. Mark your calendar for Sunday evening, November 8 and cheer on the Bears with a hundred or more supporters of The Neighborhood Bridge!...

Rory Hoskins, the mayor of Forest Park, recently visited us at Centro San Bernardino. He had heard about our work with the migrants and wanted to learn more... Security is a major concern for the Migrant Ministry, especially now with the Customs and Border Patrol achieving record numbers of abductions and arrests... The Center will close for donations on Monday, September 21 as the sorting team works to clear out summer clothing to make room for fall and winter items. Donations will resume the following Monday...

This past week, the Church invited us to celebrate two important memorials: the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14 and Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15... On the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we look upon the cross of Jesus and recognize that what appeared to be a symbol of defeat became the instrument of our salvation... Mary stands beneath the cross of her Son. She cannot take away Jesus’ suffering. She cannot change what is happening... These two memories belong together...

There was much excitement on a recent Tuesday at Saint Bernardine’s Migrant Ministry morning. Bishop Jose Garcia Maldonado, now head of our Vicariate IV, was scheduled to tour and meet volunteers and migrants... His office and apartment are both very close to Saint Bernardine - his office is within walking distance. We expect that he may visit again as his schedule allows. Our volunteers work so hard to make a welcoming place for migrants... Donations are accepted on Monday mornings...

Labor Day has come and gone, and somehow it feels as though summer has passed almost as quickly as it arrived... TIME IS A GIFT NOT SOMETHING WE POSSESS... Autumn also teaches us about LETTING GO... Labor Day also reminds us that our value is not found in our accomplishments. We can become so busy working or serving, caring for others, and meeting our responsibilities that we forget a simple truth: before we do anything for God, WE ARE ALREADY LOVED BY GOD...

News media report a recent surge in ICE arrests, as immigrants and migrants with no criminal record are increasingly targeted... At the Migrant Ministry, we are committed to helping migrants understand the implications of each option in order to make an informed decision... Self-deportation means that migrants leave the U.S. on their own, without getting permission or assistance from the government... Donations are accepted on Monday mornings from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former St. Bernardine School...

Think about what legacy we will leave behind, and what Dolly Parton can teach us about giving. Her recent passing reminds us that a person’s legacy is about much more than what they accomplish for themselves... There is a lesson here for all of us. It is not necessary to be wealthy to be generous. We can give money, certainly, but we can also give our time, our attention, our talents, our encouragement, and our prayers... Dolly Parton’s example invites us to ask a better question. “WHOSE LIFE WILL BE BETTER BECAUSE I WAS HERE?”...

At a recent trip to the Broadview Processing (previously Detention Center) a battle-ready combat vehicle was observed entering the building. It made this writer consider what my battle-ready vehicle would look like... It would be a wagon containing the following: T-shirts with slogans like “Mercy for Justice” or “God has cast down the mighty and has lifted up the lowly”, lots of rosaries, at least one Bible and prayer books,... I don’t know who will win the battle, but I believe long-term in our chances...

This weekend marks the beginning of the 100th anniversary celebration of Saint Giles Church and Campus... From the rich histories and traditions of Saint Edmund, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Lucy, Ascension, and Saint Giles, two new communities have emerged. That does not mean that the histories of our individual parishes disappear. Quite the opposite. WE CARRY THAT HISTORY WITH US... The story is not ending. New chapters are beginning, and we are blessed to be writing them together...

Daily life is no less stressful for the migrants we serve than it was last fall during Operation Midway Blitz. DHS’s strategies have changed, but are just as aggressive... At the Migrant Ministry, we increasingly view our center as a “Place of Encounter,” as called for by Pope Leo. Migrants are welcomed and made to feel respected and heard... Looking with HOPE to the future, we have been very busy helping parents select school clothes and children new backpacks and school supplies...

Lately it seems that we have been hearing about severe storms, damaging tornados, earthquakes, flooding, or one natural disaster after another. When these events seem to come as often as they have recently, it is understandable to wonder: IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING?... Faith does not promise we will never encounter storms. Faith promises we do not face them alone... So instead of only asking, “Why is God allowing this to happen?”, possibly we should also ask...

A Story from inside Broadway Detention Center - Heidi Torgerson is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in LaGrange, and also one of the pastors who goes inside Broadview Processing (previously Detention) Center... Pastors go in every day to provide pastoral care to the people being held there... This care is being allowed due to the work of CSPL, the Coalition of Spiritual and Pastoral Leadership, which filed a lawsuit against ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, forcing them to allow these visits...

A new school year is about to begin, and our streets, sidewalks, schools, and homes become much busier again... Safety is another important part of caring for our communities... The children and young people returning to school are not simply “someone else’s kids.”... The start of a new season in school is an opportunity for all of us to practice what Jesus teaches: LOVE ONE ANOTHER... Sometimes that love looks quite simple - a smile, holding a door, yielding the right of way, or patiently waiting our turn...

Increasingly at the Migrant Ministry, we are being called to alert migrants about significant changes in immigration policy, issue warnings about potential scams, and fight misinformation... Colorful, low-literacy information posters and flyers using eye-catching emojis are a key part of the Migrant Ministry’s efforts to educate migrants about key concerns... Migrants are encouraged to take photos of the posters and share them widely on social media...

Last week, I had the opportunity to take some time away and spend six days with my two brothers, their wives and a couple of good friends... That is why the summer offers us a gift. It reminds us that God created us not only to work, but also to rest. Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to quiet places to pray... Whether it is a week away, an afternoon on the porch, a walk through the park, or simply sitting quietly with the Lord at home or in Church; let yourself be renewed...