By Sister Lynne Schmidt

“I try not to listen to the news because it upsets me.” I frequently hear this from friends and family. How often I wish I could be in that group. But I can’t. For me, it is a matter of what I do with the barrage of news I hear. What can I let go? What impels action? Comments such as this are frequently made by sisters committed to addressing social, or systemic, sin.

On World Day of Migrants and Refugees, October 5, 2025, several School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) chose to participate in a public witness in support of immigrants and refugees. The Immigrant & Refugee Ministry organized a small coalition that included the Immigration Task Force of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Saint Louis University’s Center for Social Action and seven parishes to sponsor the prayer on the front steps of St. Pius V Catholic Church, a parish with a diverse immigrant population. St. Pius V is located in the city of St. Louis in the Grand Boulevard business district, which is home to many immigrant-owned businesses and restaurants.

The group sang familiar songs while many passing cars honked in support of the rally. The prayer included a powerful reading of anonymous testimonies from immigrants for whom it is not a safe time for them to speak publicly of their experiences. An interview with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski that had been done by a local TV news station was read to the people gathered. Several participants spoke of the unity and commitment of all who were gathered in front of the church.

The rally was one response to Pope Leo’s encyclical Dilexi te (I Have Loved You) in which he devotes three full paragraphs (nos.73-75) to the plight of immigrants and refugees.

Sisters who were present at this event were invited to write a brief reflection on their experiences.

Sister Janet Crane – Immigration is the move to be safe. It can be various securities – food, housing, financial, livelihood, culture, education, family – which all of us deserve.

With this said, every immigrant, who may also be a refugee, is moving to be free from and free for. As I care for our immigrants, I experience the challenges and hopes that my ancestors migrated for. My great-grandparents came to the U.S. to avoid the German conscription and the anti-Jewish programs. So, when I participate in the welcome of immigrants, I am expressing the efforts of my ancestors to flee and be safe here. That was repeated multiple times in my family. My hope is that as our immigrants move they may find safety and welcome.

Sister Gail Guelker – My experience organizing with the Gamaliel Foundation, working with Latinas and their families at Notre Dame High School and my desire for a comprehensive immigration bill keeps me in the struggle with others.

The walk from St. Margaret of Scotland to St. Pius was a way to gather in solidarity with our sisters and brothers across the metropolitan area, in support of all immigrants. For me, being united in community helps me realize I am not alone in my desire to see people of all cultures as part of who we are as a country…we all BELONG!

Sister Jackie Toben – Since I go every Tuesday and Thursday morning to help Majida learn English, I felt it was important to be present at the Immigration Rally at St. Pius V church. Majida is from Iraq. Her husband once said to me, with his hand over his heart (he has heart health related issues), “Iraq! War, war, war! Stress, stress, stress!” So, joining others to listen, sing and pray about the injustices of our immigration policies seemed like a simple way to show compassionate support and solidarity.

Sister Lynne Schmidt – The rally offered me the chance to be with other Catholics who support migrants and demand that they be treated with respect and dignity. I get enraged at the images of violence and hatred that I see in newscasts against our sisters and brothers. And I am aware of the numerous and frequent instances that are not shown. I am appalled at the blatant racism that underlies the policies of the current administration. I recognize that our current United States policies around immigration need to be reformed, but this is not what is happening. I fear for friends and neighbors who are in the targeted groups. This rally was a moment in time when the solidarity of those present offered a glimmer of hope and a call to greater commitment to stand with and to serve those who are in desperate need now.

In his homily on World Solidarity with Migrants Day, Father Jack Schuler said his favorite scripture scholar is Walter Brueggemann. He once wrote that compassion is a radical form of criticism because it calls notice to hurt, and that hurt cannot be normal or natural. It is unacceptable. It is not a form of humanness. Compassion is that radical form of criticism because it points out the hurt, instead of being numbed by all that’s going on or saying this is never going to change.

Many sisters are involved in helping immigrants. Some accompany them to court and other hearings. Some provide water in the desert and help them find shelter. Some take food or medicines to families who are afraid to leave their homes. Some work with their churches or with other organizations that respond to immigrants’ needs in various ways. Some maintain deep friendships with those who are members of their communities. Ministry with immigrants has been a commitment of the SSND since they came to America, though usually in times less perilous than now.

Compassion, a radical form of resistance, motivates the many and varied responses of sisters in this current crisis.

Read the SSND Immigration Reform Corporate Stance.