Incarnate Word Family Supports Immigrants

"You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot stop the spring from coming.” ~ Pablo Neruda 


In these challenging political times, let us remember the strength of life and community. In light of immigrants and refugees who seek to enter the United States, Incarnate Word Sisters, Staff, Associates, past and present students of UIW, people working as interns with Incarnate Word Foundation in St. Louis, and people associated with the CCVI Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee gather with others holding up international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and principals of Catholic Social Teaching on the dignity of human beings. UIW students concerned about vulnerable children who are suffering have been gathering resources to help them.

Right corner: Maria Antonietta Maria Berriozábal, 

first Latina to serve on the SA City Council and IW friend. 

Next row: Sarwat Husain, UIW Alumni of Distinction 

and leader in the Council on American Islamic Relations CAIR, 

Catherine Ciarrocchi, IW alum, artist, and advocate.

Many of the problems have been created by unjust economic structures. Each of us is called to examine how we are part of unjust structures and how we can have influence in transforming these. While we call attention to current problems of family separation, let us commit ourselves to creating positive solutions to root causes of these problems.

Monica Cruz, former CCVI JPIC Committee Member and
Director of the UIW Ettling Center for Civic Leadership

In St. Louis, Aly Escaobar and Alexa Maradiaga 

spent their free time assisting with a 

“Families Belong Together” demonstration. 

They are summer interns sponsored by 

the Incarnate Word Foundation. 

Alexa is from UDEM in Monterrey, Mexico.  

Aly, a Cardinal Community Leader from the University of the Incarnate Word Ettling Center for Civic Leadership, who recently graduated wrote, “The March for Families was moving. Even the heat advisory couldn’t keep St. Louis from going out to show their disapproval about the separation of children from their families.  Filled with many emotions and awed by the stories shared, a DACA student stood in the middle of the crowd of marchers and expressed that every drop of sweat was worth it as it symbolizes the sacrifices and hard-work of families who are seeking better lives for their children.  

As a Latina who has always had the loving support of family, I cannot fathom a world where children are being ripped away from the security of their parents/guardian’s arms. It’s easy to feel powerless during a time like this, where nothing seems to make sense, however we must push past the evil and remain hopeful. We are stronger when we all stand in unity and defend the dignity of all humans.”

Jennifer Reyes Lay at
St. Louis March and Rally

Jennifer Reyes Lay, the Assistant Director of the CCVI JPIC Office, also attended the "Families Belong Together" rally and march in St. Louis on June 30th.  She shared, "My Catholic faith and incarnational spirituality tells me that Christ is present in every person, especially those who are suffering and marginalized. How we treat those crossing the border is how we treat Christ himself. We are called to welcome the stranger, share what we have generously, and love unconditionally, honoring the dignity of each of God's precious children. 

The current policies and actions of our government toward immigrant and refugee families is immoral and inhumane. I believe that I and all people of faith and good will have a responsibility to speak out and take action to stop injustice when we see it. I was proud to march with thousands of others in St. Louis who are standing up for the values of compassion, human dignity, love, and justice."

Donations collected by UIW students

In San Antonio at the University of the Incarnate Word, Dr. Emily Clark’s summer World Literature class donated 6 boxes of toys, books, and blankets to send comfort and love to refugee children at the border in Texas and beyond. In the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, again and again teachers and learners are finding that service to humanity is way to more deeply understand the humanities and vice versa. Dr. Clark wrote, “While reading about immigration and displacement, the crisis unfolded at the border and UIW students wanted to do something to help those little ones in need.”

U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett at
San Antonio Rally

Sister Jean Durel attended the rally in San Antonio, TX, as over a million people in over 700 places demonstrated on June 30 with the “Families Belong Together” movement. Several speakers at the San Antonio rally stressed the importance of voting, among them U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett. Doggett said that "it is not enough to just come to a rally, citizens need to get involved, volunteer, and VOTE. It didn’t take 14 days to separate children hundreds of children from their parents and it shouldn’t take that long to reunite them."

Kathy Zeringue Schmidt (lower right corner) 

Incarnate Word Associate at the Vigil for Humanity

Sr. Corrine Walsh, Sr. Mary Margaret Bright,
and Sr. Eilish reminding all “Make America GREET again.”

Photo by Sr. Elizabeth Riebschlaeger

Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger who also attended the San Antonio rally wrote that as two persons were packing up to leave after the rally, “I just took a quick picture of their shirts without reading them. I was stunned, but delighted when I later saw the picture and read them left to right. Perfect combination!! Deus providebit!” (image to the right)

Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, Chair of the CCVI Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation of Committee read the CCVI statement at “Family Separation: A Panel” on July 2 at the Barshop Jewish Community Center in San Antonio. The panel included a pediatrician, an attorney, a pastor, and a social worker. 

The CCVI statement says,

“We, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, oppose and condemn the unjust implementation of the ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policies.  Our values and the Gospel of Jesus Christ impel us to reject completely any policy that ignores and defiles the dignity of the human person and uses the most vulnerable among us for political purposes. 

Donna Guerra, CCVI Archivist, Sr. Francine Keane,
Sr. Corrine Walsh, Sr. Jane Farek, Sr. Mary Margaret Bright,
Sr. Eilish Ryan, Sr. Marichui Bringas joined several hundred
people in front of San Fernando Cathedral at the
Vigil for Humanity on June 24, 2018, in San Antonio, TX .

We join our voices and our concerns with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Catholic Health Association, and many other organizations, denominations, and faith and civic leaders in condemning this policy.  We urge members of the United States Congress to act immediately to halt the unjust, immoral and unconscionable implementation of this policy.”

Written by Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI 

Join the People's Climate March - April 29

We encourage those who are able to join in the nearest solidarity march for climate change April 29, 2017.  The main march will take place in Washington D.C. with hundreds of sister marches happening around the country at the same time.  This is an opportunity to pray with our feet and take to the streets to protect and care for our common home! 

St. Louis, MO

On Saturday, April 29, 2017, St. Louis will gather together in solidarity with the People's Climate Movement to show our local and national leaders that we are ready to fight back and stand up for our communities and our common home.  The event will begin at 12:00pm with a rally at Luther Ely Smith Square, which is between the Old Courthouse and the Arch, and then march to the Serra Sculpture Park, which is right near Citygarden.  The event is anticipated to last about two hours total. 

 

If you would like to march together as the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, please contact Jennifer Reyes Lay at jennifer.reyes@amormeus.org. 

Austin, TX

The closest solidarity march to San Antonio is being held in Austin, TX.  If you are interested in carpooling to the march in Austin, please contact Jennifer Reyes Lay at jennifer.reyes@amormeus.org to coordinate transportation. 

People of central Texas will unite to stand up for our communities and climate. We will rally and march at the Texas State Capitol at 1:00PM Saturday, April 29th. Organizations working to combat climate change will have tables with information and opportunities to make change happen.

If you are located somewhere else, you can find the nearest march to you on the People' Climate March Website HERE.  

Women Religious Including CCVI Participate in National Women's March

Women's March in St. Louis

"Women around the country and across the world took to the streets on January 21 in an
unprecedented demonstration on behalf of human rights and equality. The Women’s March in Washington was accompanied by more than 600 “sister marches” in 81 countries, on all seven continents and broke records with reports of nearly five million people participating worldwide.

Women's March in San Antonio

In Washington, women religious gathered at the Stuart Center on the eve of the march to pray, share supper, and participate in a refresher course in nonviolence. The group was joined by still more marchers the next morning for mass at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill. From there they headed out to join the throngs of women, men, and their children making their way to the Mall to join the singing, chanting, and marches that broke out in all directions.

The marchers represented a wide range of political causes often clearly identified by the signs they carried and the chants that left some hoarse. However, what was also clear to many was the intersectionality of the various causes and the shared commitment of many marchers to justice for women, families, immigrants, and refugees; support for human rights, healthcare, and environmental protections; and a commitment to nonviolence." (from LCWR March 2017 Newsletter)

Sr. Jean Durel with a group of friends at the Women's March
in San Antonio. 

Women Religious from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word were among those who participated in local marches in Austin, TX and St. Louis, MO.  The march in St. Louis drew around 20,000 participants, one of the largest marches and demonstrations in recent history for them, and the march in Austin drew over 30,000 participants.

Sr. Jean Durel and Sr. Martha Ann Kirk were among sisters who attended the Women's March in Austin, TX.  Sr. Jean Durel shared that, "It was an incredible experience to be with 30,000 people – multi-generational and multi-ethnic -- in a peaceful march to say that “women’s rights are human rights and that we stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us."  

Sr. Martha Ann Kirk also shared about her experience. "I was touched by a woman on oxygen in a wheel chair at the march in Austin whose poster said, “Hear our voice. Women’s rights are human rights. Black lives matter. No human is illegal. Science is real. Love is love.”  As I walked next to her seeing the oxygen keeping her alive, I was also seeing so many people carrying signs “Repealing the Affordable care act is a death sentence for many. It seemed like a march to create a world of human dignity where all are respected, protected, and encouraged.  Fathers, husbands, and male friends also participated and carried signs expressing their respect for women and hopes for their daughters."

Sr. Mary Kay McKenzie and
Jennifer Reyes Lay at the
Women's March in St. Louis.

Jennifer Reyes Lay, from the JPIC Office, and Sr. Mary Kay McKenzie CCVI attended the Women's March in St. Louis, MO.  For Jennifer the March was "an experience of the Holy Spirit, drawing us together across many different identities and experiences to stand together in solidarity with all women, to lift our voices and pray with our feet for the kind of beloved community, rooted in justice, that our Scriptures speak about. It was an incredibly energizing and hope-filled experience."  

While the Women's March set impressive records and drew public and media attention, Sr. Jean reminds us that "one march is not enough.  The call to each of us, whether we went to a march or not, is to take action in our local area.  The new campaign is:  10 actions in 100 days.  1^st Action:  send a postcard to your senators about what matters most to you.  For starters, are you upset about the planned wall on the U.S.-Mexico border? Or about the threats to cities declaring themselves as Sanctuary? Let your Senators know.  For more information go to www.womensmarch.com"