Approximately 80 people gathered on January 11, 2018 for a special prayer service as part of National Migration Week activities. Working with the Archdiocese of Chicago the Assumption Social Justice Committee sponsored the prayer service as their first event of 2018. Lake County Illinois Sherriff Mark Curran spoke at the prayer service. Sherriff Curran gave a personal testimony bearing witness to his conversion from a staunch supporter of law and order focusing on the illegality of undocumented immigrants to an adherent of the faith doctrine issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

While not as momentous as Saint Paul’s conversion moment noted in the bible, you can still make a comparison to the conversion of Sheriff Curran in terms of being open to Christ’s message of kindness and mercy to strangers, the weak, and the helpless. Saint Paul’s conversion happened in one spectacular moment with direct physical contact from Christ.  This was not the case with Sheriff Curran whose witnessing told of a slow conversion beginning with a woman he talked with at an anti-immigrant rally. After the rally the sheriff said the woman came over to him and said she was going to pray for him even though she was vehemently oppose to his views.  His conversion was completed in a later discussion with the late Cardinal George of Chicago. Cardinal George gave Sheriff Curran an understanding of how the issues around undocumented immigrants are actually “Respect for life” issues. Life, Cardinal George said, has to be respected and valued both in the womb and out.

Sheriff Curran made two very strong points regarding undocumented immigrants. First and foremost he believes that care and compassion for immigrants is a pro-life matter and credits the church for helping him to see that. Secondly from a fairness perspective it is unjust to make a change in policy and then punish people for following the old policy without considering their current circumstances. This is the case in the US.  Mass immigration to the US started back many years ago when the US was in desperate need of low cost labor to work in a variety of industries. Because of this need immigration laws were not strictly enforced. Now the labor needs of the US have changed and so has the approach to enforcing the law.

Bible readings during the special prayer service directly tied to the Christian value of helping the stranger. Father Joe brought this fact home by pointing out that the holy family was for a time immigrants themselves. From a social justice point of view the objective of the prayer service was to share with Sheriff Curran his personal journey in faith reconciliation, with the hope that prayer service attendees would gain further insight on immigration fellowship and how it is reflected in church teachings.