Migration | Jesuit Social Research Institute

An introduction to Migration

During the last twenty-five years, and especially following Hurricane Katrina, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of immigrants – both documented and undocumented – in the Gulf South. Nearly one third of our nation’s immigrants now live in two Gulf South states: Texas and Florida. The proportion of immigrants in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama more than doubled between 1990 and 2019, outpacing the U.S. as a whole. The Jesuit Social Research Institute seeks to provide practical, collaborative participatory action research, social analysis, theological reflection, and advocacy related to the issue of migration in the Gulf South in collaboration with Jesuit social and migration networks, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Catholic diocesan ministries serving immigrants in the Gulf South, and other advocates.

Our Catholic faith is deeply rooted in the experience of migration. The Hebrew and Christian scriptures remind us time and again that God casts his tent among our most marginalized sisters and brothers, including immigrants: “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

In the New Testament, exile and homelessness mark the life of Jesus as well. As a child Jesus and the Holy Family must flee as refugees to Egypt. As an adult, Jesus is an itinerant preacher who travels throughout Galilee and Judea to spread his message: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt: 8-20). Jesus identified with migrants and other marginalized people in an intense and personal way, and taught that our very salvation depends on how we treat the migrant in our midst: “…For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt: 25: 35). “Just as you did this to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me“(Mt: 25:40).

Strangers No Longer: On A Journey Of Hope (November 2003), a joint pastoral letter on migration issued by the bishops of Mexico and the United States, recognizes that migration is both “necessary and beneficial” for both countries and calls upon people of good will to “work toward changes in church and societal structures” to comprehensively serve the needs of migrants. In his 2003 letter outlining five apostolic preferences for the world-wide the Society of Jesus, Very Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ—then the Superior General of the Jesuits—mandated that in addition to directly serving refugees through agencies such as the Jesuit Refugee Service “…it seems necessary to widen this appeal, so that we come to the aid of the numerous migrants, according to their manifest needs on the various continents.” (January 1, 2003: p. 3). In his June 2019 letter announcing the four Universal Apostolic Preferences for the Society of Jesus for the next decade, Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, strongly reasserts this priority: “We confirm our commitment to care for migrants, displaced persons, refugees, and victims of war and human trafficking.”

As the United States engages in a nationwide debate on reform of the immigration system and state legislatures continue efforts to enact immigration legislation at the state level, JSRI will provide information, education, and advocacy on immigration reform in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Justice for Immigrants campaign and the immigration advocacy work of the U.S. Jesuit Office for Justice and Ecology and the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

Catholic Teach-In on Immigration

The Catholic Teach-in on Immigration (CTOI) aims to create a “culture of encounter” that leads to greater understanding and empathy on the issue of undocumented immigration by bringing together undocumented immigrants and U.S. born Catholics in a prayerful, intimate, and safe place. Developed by the Jesuit Social Research Institute (JSRI), there is also has an explicit advocacy goal for these events: to engage more Catholics in the pews and in our schools in the struggle for immigration reform.

For resources to host your own Catholic Teach-In on Migration, please look at the following links below:

Information about hosting a CTOI

Sample Packet for CTOI

Sample Powerpoint Presentation for CTOI

Café con Ingles

Café con Ingles is a project of JSRI and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Mid-City New Orleans. Founded in 2011 by JSRI Policy and Research Fellow Sue Weishar and educator Julia Reagin--both parishioners of St. Anthony’s-- the goals of Café con Ingles are to teach English to the adult immigrant members of St. Anthony of Padua Church and to build a community of faith and friendship at the parish. Café con Ingles English as a Second Language (ESL) classes meet for approximately 1.5 hours in the school cafeteria after the conclusion of the 9:00 AM Spanish-language Mass. Before class begins at 10:30 AM, students and volunteer teachers enjoy coffee, fruit, pastries, and conversation.

More info about Café con Ingles

The Encuentro Project

JSRI supports the work of The Encuentro Project in El Paso which offers programming and
lodging for immersion and encounter experiences in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez border region. JSRI provides some financial assistance, has helped in the design of public relations materials and participant program evaluations, and JSRI Associate Mary Baudouin is a board member of the project.

Novena for Migrant Families

Our country is experiencing an immigration crisis like never before as harsh new immigration policies upend the lives of immigrant families-- at the border and within the U.S. With the Novena for Migrant families, members of the Loyola Community will have an opportunity to come together to pray for migrant families, develop a deeper understanding of the challenges facing our immigrant sisters and brothers, and demonstrate solidarity with families fleeing poverty, violence, and oppression for peace and freedom in the U.S.

Please find materials for hosting your own Novena below.

Novena Digital Booklet PDF

Novena Print Booklet PDF

Novena Booklet Word Document