Love has no borders: Women religious help asylum seekers at US/Mexico border

Introduction: Love has no borders

One of the delights that I have as managing editor of Charities USA magazine is the opportunity to speak to Catholic Charities staff and volunteers who are doing the work of charity throughout our country. In this issue we feature some special volunteers: women religious who left their homes and duties to help out at…

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A video montage: Women religious speaking about their service at the border

Among the many sisters who answered the call to help asylum seekers at the border, the sisters in this video montage speak passionately about their experiences. They talk about what serving these men, women and children in need means to them and how such service uplifts the human dignity of us all. As Sister Lucy…

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Making their presence felt: Women religious volunteer at Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley

Organizing a closet full of clothes can be a daunting and unwelcome chore for someone doing some spring cleaning at home. The thought of putting it off until next spring may be very tempting. Now imagine walking into a facility with 26,000 square feet of floor space filled with hundreds of bags of clothes and…

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The sisters are back: Women religious volunteer at Casa Alitas Welcome Center for Migrant Families

When Teresa Cavendish, director of operations for Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona (CCSSOAZ) and director of CCSSOAZ’s Casa Alitas program, announced that “the sisters are back,” the staff shouted with joy. In 2019 women religious had volunteered at Casa Alitas, which serves migrant families who have left their home countries to escape violence and…

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Sisters helping asylum seekers at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Laredo

Rebecca Solloa, executive director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Laredo, talks about her agency's humanitarian aid to asylum seekers, including the volunteer efforts of Sisters Maria Teresa de Llano and Sister Karen Schwane, two Ursuline sisters who helped out in Laredo in answer to the call from Sister Donna Markham and the Leadership Conference of…

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Thank you for picking us

No one really knows the trauma, sadness, and grief of a teenage boy traveling alone through another country in search of a hopeful future in the United States. To overcome trauma, one needs positive relationships, a healthy lifestyle, and strong community support. One needs the support of individuals who truly care. On March 31, 2021,…

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Welcoming and walking with newcomers

Immigration policy changes enacted in January 2021 by the Biden administration, including the dissolution of the “Remain in Mexico” policy, allowed asylum seekers to stay in the United States for the duration of their immigration proceedings, as was the policy prior to January 2019.  This meant thousands of migrants who had waited for the next…

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The list of congregations of women religious providing aid at the southern border

The sisters volunteered at five Catholic Charities agencies near the southern border, and they made a lasting impression on the staff and people they served. Just the fact that they dropped what they were doing in order to travel to the border and serve those in need in a dire moment speaks volumes. The human…

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