As the number of immigrants in the United States continues to grow, Sister Norma Pimentel asks the faithful to “think about our Holy Family.”
“Just like these families are fleeing from circumstances that they find their children in danger, they (Holy Family) arrived to a place where they were not welcome,” she said.
Sometimes that happens to immigrant families today, she said.
“We shut our door to our own hearts because we’re afraid,” Sister Norma said. Yet, “like baby Jesus in the Holy Family, he brought salvation to us.” Had that been known, “every door would have been open for the Holy Family,” she said.
“I think that we have to trust God and trust that he’s calling us to step up and not be afraid,” Sister Norma said. “Believe and do the right thing.”
Sister Norma — executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and a daughter of Mexican immigrants — recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show producer Kayla Mayer to discuss immigration.
When people are “detached from this reality,” from not seeing immigrants face to face “and their struggles and their pain, you completely come up with decisions about how wrong this is,” Sister Norma said. “And you lose sight of the fact that there is a responsibility that we have as human beings, as Catholics, as people of God, to not lose sight of the fact that a human being is our responsibility to take care (of) in every respect.”
Sister Norma said she believes that many in border law enforcement are doing “an amazing job” and care about the families “and the response is amazingly great.” “But I think when you don’t see the person up front and see their faces, see their struggles, we get detached from that human reality,” she said.
Every community in the U.S. that is receiving immigrants has a responsibility to “create the right welcoming” so that immigrants can be integrated into the community “and be able to take care of themselves,” Sister Norma said. One way is by offering the chance to obtain driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, she said, which offers benefits in “identifying people and facilitating them, being able to care for themselves and take responsibility for every aspect of their lives” and not become a burden to a community, she said.
Identify immigrants’ needs in a community and what can be done to help them “so that they can be part of our community,” Sister Norma said. “And it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Sister Norma is the featured speaker Oct. 19 at the Ignatian Volunteer Corps’ event, “Immigration: Crisis in America,” at St. Thomas More in St. Paul. To learn more about the event, which includes dinner and a Della Strada award ceremony, and to register, visit ivcusa.org/twincities.
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Oct. 6 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. Oct. 7 and 2 p.m. Oct. 8.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Father Tom Margevicius, director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who describes the season of Ordinary Time and how to live it well; and Father Rich Simon, host of Relevant Radio’s “Father Simon Says” daily Bible study, who discusses the rosary during this month of its dedication.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
