Reaching Out for the Common Good through COPS/Metro

COPS Metro staff and volunteers organize meetings around local people by districts.  People talk about the challenges of their own districts and neighborhood with solutions that will also come from conversations in the meetings.  It advocates for the causes of the common good and the vulnerable.  

The COPS/Metro just celebrated its 50th Anniversary on October 26, 2025.  Local parishes, organizations and international organizations gathered to celebrated the anniversary of the COPS Metro on October 26, 2025.  The people attended the gathering in support of the causes of the organizations advocating for the needs of the vulnerable and the common good, looking forward to what comes next after this momentous event which is 50 years of work.  Father Dennis Schaefer, OFM, one of the key speakers asked the people to reinvigorate, recommit and reform what belongs to God and His people.

Pope Leo similarly advocates for the impoverished that we need to build or gather as a community or work together and not to leave the poor behind.  The COPS/Metro, with the support of the people in all these years, prides itself on collaborating with responsible organizations to make things happen  such as water, sewage, swimming complex, community center, Texas Diabetes Institute, affordable housing, school in the west side, drainage, etc.  

Through the COPS/Metro collaborating with other non-profit and business organizations, the people are able to overcome economic challenges recognizing their work and importance in the society.  However, as Pope Francis said, "Do not rest in your laurels there is so much work to do."  Therefore, the COPS Metro organization continues to commit with the help of the people and authorities in supporting each other.  Support does not mean no disagreements.  What the Frost Bank Executive said that they may have disagreements but they are both committed to a good cause.  

Key Messages from Special Guests:

Bishop Sue Briner

"We are all immigrant. I am an immigrant from Canada.  Except for the indigenous, we are all immigrants.  We are here to protect for the safety and dignity of all"

Bishop Seitz  

There is a great concern with the current policies when the end justifies the means.  There’s violence and use power among the (migrants).  The cries of the people are simply ignored. First of all (among the causes) is the families.  The campaign that is happening is hitting the families. The status of the immigrant families are of mixed status. Where the families will be sent to a place they don’t know.  How cruel we are to send the families?

We are generating a wounded families.  We are hurting families. There is nothing Christian not Catholic about this.

Pope Leo supported its predecessor Pope Francis in his message  coast of Tunisia, Lampedusa.  Pope Francis said history is devastated by the powerful and saved by the humble.

Bishop Gustavo-Siller

"Bishops stayed together.  We are inspired by the Catholic Social Teachings.  Today, we are challenged.  There are posters that invite suspicions. Pope Leo never discriminated.  God loves all...We emphasize God’s compassion.  We stood for six hours that day, visiting families.  It was a strange feelings.  There was no Hispanic families claiming families (in the detention) because of fear. This is unacceptable. We are celebrating with people who have received the benefit and those who will receive in years to come. We are challenged with our obligations. Christianity makes reference to the God of love. To welcome a migrant is to welcome Christ.

...

We are all building faith in action.”

Congressman Joaquin Castro

"We come today as people conscience. I have message for the President of United States.  What we are seeing is lawlessness.  We are seeing violence, people without badge and ID 

… it doesn’t have to be that way.  This is not American. 

Policies should be guided by principles.  A message to United States President. We are here calling out the inhumanity. 

Families are being broken."

Sheriff Javier Salazar, Bexar County

"People like me need to be guardians and not oppressors.  To one who declare himself as King but we have one King.  We will be accountable for our actions."

There are other messages that have been said that focuses on the vulnerable situations of the migrants, as well as the accomplishments of the people whose lives have improved with the support of the COPS Metro.  

The message of Pope Francis reberberates in this event given the works that have been done which he himself emphasized when he was with us. The greatest form of charity is political.  As he told us, we need to focus on good.

More Information:

History - COPS/Metro Campaña Sandbox

Collaborate and Contact: Sister Francine (francine.keane@amormeus.org) 

Incarnate Word Sisters and Associates cheering for the COPS/Metro (S. Francine, S. Jane F, S. Peggy B, S. Bertha F., S. Marichui B, S, Josetta, S. Jean, S. Teresa S., S. Martha L, S. Marylou, S. Leti)

Incarnate Word Associates

Audience standing ovation with the founder Ernesto Cortés Jr

Interfaith Coalition for Migrants Prayer every Mon 8am and Interfaith Prayer on Nov 19 at 6pm CST

An Invitation to offer Compassion 

1. Are you a faith leaders or do you know faith leaders? Any contact information for use in immigration collaboration?  Do you have any contacts to send me re: immigration? Priest, pastor, rabbi, Iman etc.?
2. Visiting migrants in immigration detention centers in the area.  

a. Do you want to visit someone in detention? 

b. Do you know anyone in immigration detention who wants a visit?

 3. Monday Prayer Outside the Courthouse

a. Can you join the prayer outside the immigration courthouse each Monday at 8am?  It is only about 15 minutes long. It is on Nueva facing the courthouse parking lot.  Specifically, on the sidewalk across the street from the parking lot.  There is paid parking at the courthouse lot.  There is parking at the UTSA lot under the bridge at that hour and there is parking on the loop road off of Ceasar Chavez heading to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

b. Could you lead one of the Monday prayers?  Contact me and we can discuss what others generally do for their prayer.

4. Can you accompany someone to their ICE check-in or to their court date?

5. Do you know someone who needs accompaniment?

6. SAVE the DATE- November 19^th at 6pm at the cathedral will be an interfaith prayer vigil with Archbishop Gustavo.

Please contact me with any questions you have!

Ms. Alejandra Buitron: alejandra.buitron@amormeus.org

Migrant, Immigrant, Refugee Network (MIRN) Program Manager

What You did to the Least Person, you Did to Me

Matthew 25 is the verse that Dorothy Day's lived for.  The verses from this chapter address the Catholic Social Teachings.  Dorothy Day put her Catholic faith into action.  She lived among the poor, struggled with the poor, and fought for the poor.  She was a journalist, a political activists, a mother, an advocate and a friend of a lot of people whom she lived and fought for and with.  Dorothy Day was someone who did not want to be the center of attention.  She would not want to be that person whom people would praise being a "hero."  These are the words of Ms. Martha Henessy, the granddaughter of Dorothy Day when asked about what kind of person her grandmother was.  She was one of the guests in the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Worker House in San Antonio.  She also lives and runs the Maryhouse or the Catholic Worker House in Lower Manhattan, New York.

Dorothy Day founded the Catholic Worker House together with Peter Maurin in 1933.  It is a way of liberal witness of peace, incarnation and advocates for the poor.  Peter Maurin was a man who used to live in rural area of France where farming and simplicity of life are norm.  For Peter Maurin, the people from rural area and the people in the city must converge.  Dorothy Day was used to the hussle and bustle of the urban life with her writing as a tool while Maurin see the social justice in laboring the field as a farmers.  The farmer's work can benefit from the city dwellers.  The city dwellers can use their wisdom to till the farm as well or bring their wealth of information on how to put these into practice.  

With Day's life's conversion, life of witness and love of the poor, the church gave Dorothy Day the title "Servant of God" by the Catholic Church since March 2000.  She promoted Catholic Social Teachings by her works in Catholic Worker House.  She lived and breath what she advocated for.  She left a legacy where thousands of people still benefit from the movement supported by genuine love of the poor, the forgotten and those that Jesus Christ called "Blessed" in the Beatitudes.

On October 2-5, 2025, people from Catholic Worker House (CWH) nationwide and friends came to Towne Twin Village.  The guests, volunteers, board, friends, and residents celebrated the 40th Anniversary of this noble social justice and peace movement that advocates for the poor. It was on October 5 when we had a seed planting or I can say seed scattering in the meditation garden of the Towne Twin Village.  All who joined the ritual listened to the facilitator who read the Gospel about the generosity of God who scatters the seeds anywhere.  Similarly, we picked up the native seeds  and scattered them in the open space of the meditation garden.  This is the garden that receives the funding from Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation among the many supporters to make this space possible.  It is the vision of the President of Towne Twin Village that when the trees grow, people can make use of it to gather, to ponder, and meditate. It is an opportunity for poeple to be reconnected ton one's inner self.

The seed scattering was then followed by fellowship and food where we find ourselves mingling and eating with the Catholic Workers who incarnate the generosity and humility of God everyday.  They narrated their CWH identies, struggles, and victories.  Each CWH is different.  There are quite several of these provide hospitality for the vulnerable while there are those that are dedicated to farming where the products are expected to support the hospitality houses or to serve as a food pantry for those in need.  Some are peace activists advocating for the rights to live peacefully and to speak for those who continue to be victims of war, violence, and nuclear weapons.  Everybody get to know as much as everyone can in that gathering as the Catholic Workers soon departed to go back to their communities to continue to serve their own patrons.

People from Cincinati, Akron, Los Angeles, Arizona, New York, Missouri, Chicago, and Houston are just among the Catholic Workers who came.  The CWH not only exist in United States but around the world.  They all exemplified all the Works of Mercy that the church continues to put forth: feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.  Just like Day, the Catholic Workers serve the workers, migrants, and the poor. 

Volunteer listing at the back of the T-Shirt of CWH

Theo from the Catholic Worker Podcast

Volunteers from CWH Arizona with Sr Martha Ann and friends

Incarnate Word Sisters and Social Justice

    Sisters with students at Espada Mission School which they founded in 1915. 

The booklet Incarnate Word Sisters and Social Justice can be read here https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:195d5ac1-12e8-437c-9653-c69d7a7afe41  

The University of the Incarnate Word College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences was awarded a grant, Humanities Research for the Public Good, a part of the Council of Independent Colleges “Connecting Independent Colleges with Their Communities through Undergraduate Research,” 2021-2022. This project has been generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 

Dr. Laura Cannon, Associate Professor of History, and Social Justice and Peace Concentration Coordinator, with Donna Guerra, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Director of Archives and Records Management, led student researchers, Jude Drouillart, Oliver Soliz, and Andrew Perkins. Dr. Arturo Chavez and Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D. were also a part of the Public Humanities Grant team
.

Celebrate God’s Creation! A Blessing of the Animals on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Saturday, October 4, 2025, 6 p.m., Our Lady’s Grotto

Bring your animals, live and stuff! We gather next to the Headwaters at Incarnate Word, a nature preserve and one of the last undeveloped forests in San Antonio, 53 acres where the San Antonio River begins and native peoples have lived for over 12,000 years. We commit ourselves to the Laudato Si Action Plan caring for our common home. Hosted by the UIW Communication Arts Department and the Incarnate Word Sisters Justice, Peace, and Creation Office. 

Contact: Dr. Darlene Carbajal dcarbaja@uiwtx.edu and Sr. Martha Ann Kirk kirk@uiwtx.edu(210) 829-3854