Strangers No Longer Celebrated World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 22nd
Watch the video of the event by
clicking here.
Pope Francis announced that the 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees would be in September.
Strangers No Longer held a Mass on September 22nd to commemorate this occasion.
Monsignor Kosanke of Most Holy Trinity and Padre Beto of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrated with us. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Choir provided the music.
SNL Promotes COVID Vaccine Education and Access to Spanish Communities
In March SNL was awarded a $39,000 grant through Alianza Americas from the CDC to concentrate on farmworker, essential worker, and Spanish-speaking hard-to-reach populations.
Our task is to increase the number of people getting vaccines through presentations and by working with county health department pop-up vaccine clinics.
We raised another $10,000 from CCHD (Catholic Campaign for Human Development) as a Technical Assistance grant.
With these funds, we formed a Statewide Team with the four diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry in Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Lansing and Gaylord and with the directors of Hispanic Ministry in North Macomb (Sr. Val Knoche) and St. Mary Ann Arbor (Amy Ketner).
We will learn a lot about farmworkers and food processing plants through this effort and, most importantly, we are building new relationships statewide!
SNL's Statewide COVID Education Partners
Materials for Meeting with State Legislators
We know how important it is that our Circles -- and other members of the parish -- have a relationship with their legislators. We also know that the DRIVE SAFE bills (providing for immigrants to have drivers' licenses) need to be reintroduced with the newly elected State Legislature.
Therefore our Circle meetings with legislators have just become even more important!
Click here for the guide to set up a meeting
Click here for the DRIVE SAFE summary presentation
Strangers No Longer is a network of parishes and congregations creating Circles of Support. . .
to provide assistance to immigrants in our area and to advocate for a comprehensive and humane immigration policy. We do this to put into practice the example of Jesus and Pope Francis: to receive strangers (the migrants) as our own brothers and sisters. Our support is shown in four ways:
1) Education – We strive to educate in the parishes and congregations about U.S. immigration policy, the effect it is having on real people, and the needs that arise out of this policy.
2) Direct Support/Accompaniment – We work with families directly in many ways including accompanying immigrant families to court, and providing transportation, translation, and emergency financial support.
3) Advocacy – We advocate for more humane policies and practices toward immigrants at local, state, and national levels -- meeting with local officials, asking them to make policies and practices that reflect the values of the parish.
4) Spiritual Integration - The work of Strangers No Longer is deeply rooted in scripture, the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching, and the experience of the presence of God in the lives of the people we serve and our members.
The Spiritual Integration team supports the members during leadership and larger assembly meetings through reflections on where God is moving in individuals and the organization.
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