A most important question for us to reflect on as Christians and Catholics is, what does it really mean to respect life? Respect for life is not limited to the unborn. Certainly, those lives are precious and deserving of protection; however, a consistent respect for life also means recognizing the dignity and worth of every human being who is alive now - those who are right in front of our eyes... I feel strongly that as people of faith, to respect life is not simply a political position, but a way of living the Gospel... This is not a political message; IT IS THE GOSPEL...

In a recent conversation with a friend about my volunteer work for Migrant Ministry a young woman overhearing us responded with this. “What! People are still being deported! There is nothing about that in the news.”... Reuters data shows that deportations are soaring averaging about 1200 deportations per day in August and almost 51,000 arrests that month... We know that young people get their news from different sources then retired people, primarily from social media... We continue to hold all detainees and people deported in our prayers...

Beginning in October and going through May, on the second Saturday of each of those months our Saturday evening 5:00 PM Mass will be celebrated at our Ascension Church site... Accommodating this is simply a gesture of goodwill and a bridge builder to honor many who have made the transition to St. Edmund but who also have a desire to worship now and then on a Saturday night at Ascension Church, which before unification was their Mass preference...

Community Shared Event - Join The Neighborhood Bridge on Sunday, November 8 at 6:30 PM as the Bears take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park. Come enjoy the excitement of Bears football on a big screen, while supporting the final fundraiser of the year of The Neighborhood Bridge... Early-bird tickets: $35 / Game-day tickets: $40 - Food and beverages available for purchase...

Ceci Herrera embodies compassion and service. For decades, she has assisted families along the border in El Paso as a bilingual social worker, counselor, and advocate... At the invitation of the Migrant Ministry, Ceci will share her experience accompanying migrants on both sides of the border, especially those detained in Camp East Montana... Ceci will speak at Saint Edmund Church on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00 PM. No RSVP is necessary. The presentation is free but donations will be accepted...

Recently, many folks have expressed how hard it is to find balance in our world today. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when turning on the news, looking at the headlines, or listening to the conversations around you, which may lead to feelings of doubt, division, anger, along with a growing lack of care for one another... The answer may begin by remembering where true strength can be found - attending Mass each week,... Faith does not promise that life will be easy or that uncertainty will disappear... BUT IT CAN STEADY OUR OWN HEARTS...

Rainer Maria Rilke begins his poem Autumn with noticing the change of seasons: O Lord, it is time. The summer was so vast. Put your shadows on the sundials. And in the fields let the wind loose.... Perhaps it is simply the work of the Holy Spirit, who is ever nudging us to change and deepen in our relationship with God... This is exactly what I am witnessing with the people who are participating in OCIA to join the Catholic Church or complete their sacraments of initiation. Their walk with God has brought them to this place...

Recently a group of 40 Migrant Ministry volunteers gathered to hear case studies about some of the families we have accompanied over the past four years... The conversation very quickly switched from finding jobs to the absolute necessity for our families to learn to speak English... We do have a group of dedicated teachers meeting with individuals every Tuesday morning at Centro San Bernardino... We are grateful to all those willing volunteers working to help our families find jobs and learn English...

Congratulations to two amazing parishioners who have earned special recognition, Kathi Nash, from Saint Catherine of Siena-Saint Lucy and Saint Giles Parish and, Marilyn Foster, from Ascension and Saint Edmund Parish! On Sunday, October 4, 2026, the Cardinal presented each of them with a 2026 Christifideles Award during a special ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral... There are so many in our communities who embody the spirit of this award. You know who you are and I offer my gratitude and thanks...

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...

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...

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...

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...