As debates over immigration continue to dominate national headlines, parishioners at St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Maryland gathered on June 6 for a day of prayer, reflection, and solidarity with migrants and refugees around the world. The Multicultural and Multilingual Day of Prayer for the Dignity of Migrants drew participants from the parish’s diverse communities to pray, witness, and stand with those who face the uncertainty and challenges of immigration.
The day began at noon with Eucharistic Adoration and continued throughout the afternoon, with different language communities leading prayers for specific intentions each hour. The English-speaking community opened the vigil by praying for migrant children and for children whose parents face deportation. Subsequent hours included prayers in Spanish, French, and Bangla (Bengali), reflecting the cultural tapestry of the St. Camillus Parish community.
“It was a chance, one among many, to support in a public, communal and visible way, my immigrant sisters and brothers who are suffering,” said longtime St. Camillus parishioner Maria West, who served as one of the readers during the service. “As one of the four readers, I had looked at the service ahead of time, but during the service, I was moved to the point of tears.”
Each prayer hour focused on the dignity and struggles faced by different groups: undocumented children, youth, separated families, vulnerable and marginalized individuals, laborers, detained migrants, and those seeking inner healing. The day concluded with a multilingual Mass at 7 p.m., uniting the entire community in prayer.
Organized by the St. Camillus Anti-Racism Initiative, the event was both a pastoral and public witness to the parish’s longstanding commitment to accompany immigrants in their struggles. Parish leaders noted that the idea for the Day of Prayer arose following the detention of two parish members by immigration authorities.
“After two parish members were detained by ICE, one of our priests invited several leaders of the parish to meet,” said Kathy Gallaher, a parishioner involved in the planning. “We quickly agreed that we needed to take concrete action … but we also knew it was important that we come together to pray as a community. That’s why I am here. To pray, to draw on our faith for comfort and also as energy for action.”
The parish community, made up of immigrants and descendants of immigrants from countries including Bangladesh, Cameroon, Senegal, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, and Haiti, offered personal testimony to the complexity and pain many families experience due to immigration policies. Before his death, Pope Francis criticized the Trump administration’s policy of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, as have U.S. Catholic leaders including Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy and Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar, who is a native of El Salvador.
Daniel Campion, a parishioner and member of the St. Camillus Anti-Racism Initiative, said, “Many of my fellow parishioners had to leave their country of origin due to persecution, poverty, or lack of meaningful opportunities to raise their families in safety.” Campion said that as a Catholic, his faith compels him to advocate for immigration reform that aligns with Catholic social teaching.
“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has taught us that while nations have a right to regulate their borders, immigration enforcement must be targeted, proportional, and humane,” Campion said. “As a Catholic, a U.S. citizen, and a registered voter, I have a responsibility to call out the injustices and petition my elected officials … to create an immigration system that reflects Catholic social teaching.”
Maria West reflected on how gathering for prayer sustains her personally and spiritually.
“Gathering with my parish community keeps isolation and discouragement at bay,” West said. “I typically attend the 10:30 (a.m. Sunday) intercultural Mass precisely because it celebrates the wonderful variety of cultures represented in our parish. This is seen especially in the music, led by Christian Leaños, our music minister, and our choir and musicians.”
She also noted that the leadership of the Franciscan friars at St. Camillus Parish, along with strong lay leaders, has been instrumental in fostering the parish’s vibrant and welcoming spirit.
“For myself, I pray to be faithful to the Gospel values, Franciscan values, and to the virtues of faith, hope and love,” she said. “For my community, I pray that we will be constant and consistent in our identity as a parish of unity and diversity, as our mission statement declares, and that our actions and acts of service will, with God’s grace, flow from that identity.”
The prayer vigil served as a reminder that the call to stand with migrants and refugees remains a central tenet of Catholic social teaching. “We have to remember our call to be disciples of Jesus, and to be one as a community,” Gallaher said.
