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Last November, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia stood with the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph at the congregational Senate to talk about a national issue, immigration. An enactment on immigration was decided upon unanimously and thoroughly supported by the entire congregation. "Immigration Conversations" was born.
An immigration committee made up of five members came together to organize the project.
The intent of the Immigration Conversation is to open dialogue for the community to gather and discuss one of the most controversial topics today.
"This is not a meeting where the sisters are offering a solution to existing problems," said Sarah Jenkins, communications director for Sisters of St. Joseph. “The purpose is for the Sisters to make themselves available and help in any way they can. The topic of immigration has become an emotional and diverse issue. Instead of one side shouting at the other's side, Sisters hope to truly just have a conversation.”
Immigration Conversation launched
The first Immigration Conversation was held Jan. 19 in Salina.
“We had a really good turnout. Much of my skepticism went away,” Jenkins said. “I heard other groups, other charities and social service agencies talk about all the same issues. Before this, no one had brought these various people together to talk about what they’re doing. Issues with immigration haven’t hit as much here in north-central Kansas, but they’re going to.
"In Salina, we went around the room and asked who each person was and wrote every suggestion, comment or idea on a white board.”
The Immigration Conversation taking place March 1 at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City will follow suit.
"This is an opportunity to connect with Dodge Citians, there are a lot more people working with immigration issues than most people realize," said Cheryl Lyn Higgins, Neighborhood Initiatives coordinator. "We want to connect people to resources and find out what is currently being provided and what still needs to be provided. We want to identify needs."
The enactment statement for immigration states: "We, Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, Kansas, in our commitment to nonviolence, stand in solidarity with and on behalf of our undocumented sisters and brothers who come to the United States as immigrants. They come here to escape economic and political strife, drug, wars, gang violence and brutality. We remember our own heritage as immigrants and the difficulties our families faced in coming to this country.
"But more urgently, we recall once more the words of Scripture, 'If strangers live with you in your land, do not harm them. You must count them as your own and love them as yourselves- for you were once strangers yourselves in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' (Leviticus 19:32-34) . . . We believe that labor abuses against those who grow and harvest our food, racial profiling, and the actions sparked by prejudice will not be addressed until we as the people of God and citizens of this nation come to grips with the situation."
Sisters of St. Joseph serving missions
The Sisters of St. Joseph is a religious order of women who came to Kansas in 1883 and established the Nazareth Convent and Academy in Concordia a year later. There are about 140 sisters in the order, serving missions in nearly 20 cities and towns in Kansas, plus others in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas.
The Sisters of St. Joseph have also supported a mission in Brazil for almost 50 years.
Last November, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia stood with the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph at the congregational Senate to talk about a national issue, immigration. An enactment on immigration was decided upon unanimously and thoroughly supported by the entire congregation. "Immigration Conversations" was born.
An immigration committee made up of five members came together to organize the project.
The intent of the Immigration Conversation is to open dialogue for the community to gather and discuss one of the most controversial topics today.
"This is not a meeting where the sisters are offering a solution to existing problems," said Sarah Jenkins, communications director for Sisters of St. Joseph. “The purpose is for the Sisters to make themselves available and help in any way they can. The topic of immigration has become an emotional and diverse issue. Instead of one side shouting at the other's side, Sisters hope to truly just have a conversation.”
Immigration Conversation launched
The first Immigration Conversation was held Jan. 19 in Salina.
“We had a really good turnout. Much of my skepticism went away,” Jenkins said. “I heard other groups, other charities and social service agencies talk about all the same issues. Before this, no one had brought these various people together to talk about what they’re doing. Issues with immigration haven’t hit as much here in north-central Kansas, but they’re going to.
"In Salina, we went around the room and asked who each person was and wrote every suggestion, comment or idea on a white board.”
The Immigration Conversation taking place March 1 at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City will follow suit.
"This is an opportunity to connect with Dodge Citians, there are a lot more people working with immigration issues than most people realize," said Cheryl Lyn Higgins, Neighborhood Initiatives coordinator. "We want to connect people to resources and find out what is currently being provided and what still needs to be provided. We want to identify needs."
The enactment statement for immigration states: "We, Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, Kansas, in our commitment to nonviolence, stand in solidarity with and on behalf of our undocumented sisters and brothers who come to the United States as immigrants. They come here to escape economic and political strife, drug, wars, gang violence and brutality. We remember our own heritage as immigrants and the difficulties our families faced in coming to this country.
"But more urgently, we recall once more the words of Scripture, 'If strangers live with you in your land, do not harm them. You must count them as your own and love them as yourselves- for you were once strangers yourselves in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' (Leviticus 19:32-34) . . . We believe that labor abuses against those who grow and harvest our food, racial profiling, and the actions sparked by prejudice will not be addressed until we as the people of God and citizens of this nation come to grips with the situation."
Sisters of St. Joseph serving missions
The Sisters of St. Joseph is a religious order of women who came to Kansas in 1883 and established the Nazareth Convent and Academy in Concordia a year later. There are about 140 sisters in the order, serving missions in nearly 20 cities and towns in Kansas, plus others in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas.
The Sisters of St. Joseph have also supported a mission in Brazil for almost 50 years.
