Immigration reform supported in Mass

By Emily Entress

"Good Afternoon and welcome to your home, Most Holy Trinity Church," boomed Fr. Ted Gabrielli, S.J., to a crowded church. He stood on the altar surrounded by leaders of many local Jesuit institutions, inviting members of different international cultures to unite at a special mass last Saturday afternoon.

The mass, which was themed "The Jesuit Family Welcomes the Stranger," highlighted the issue of immigration in the U.S. and offered a chance for people in the local community to come together to show support for immigrants.

"This is what liturgy is supposed to be," commented Fr. Jack Treacy, S.J. "A drawing in of a spectrum of peoples of very diverse backgrounds, but united by their hopes, their prayers and really their concern for one another, especially for those most in need."

Much of the richness of the service was due the combined efforts on the part of the local Jesuit institutions. Outside of the Santa Clara community, there were members from Bellarmine College Preparatory High School, Sacred Heart Nativity School, the California Province of Jesuits and the Most Holy Trinity Parish.

"For me the special thing was that Bellarmine, Nativity, Santa Clara and Most Holy Trinity all worked together beautifully," said Molly McDonald, who is the executive assistant to the president and was in charge of planning Santa Clara's involvement in the mass. "We'd never met each other in our life, yet we all showed up today and worked really, really well together."

Although the service was mainly focused around Catholic Jesuit traditions, there were elements of other cultures seamlessly blended into the service.

"It was such a welcoming community, like they were inviting everyone to bring whoever they were to the table, and for me that's very theologically rich," said Matt Smith, a member of Santa Clara's Campus Ministry who was in charge of organizing student involvement in the mass.

"That was the thing about the mass, you know, there were times when it was very solemn but overall it felt celebratory and welcoming."

The highlights for most attendants were the testimonies given by Santa Clara students and local community members.

"Listening to the journey that the students and community members have taken to get here, and to feel that there is support for that community of prayer, was really meaningful," said Smith.

One of the testimonies in particular, written by a Santa Clara student and read by a friend, was extremely touching.

"It's a student that I know," commented Fr. Michael Engh, S.J., "and it's a whole dimension of her life I didn't know about, so that was very moving."

This student's testimony brought home the issue of immigration for students at Santa Clara, highlighting the fact that an increasing number of students are dealing with gaining citizenship.

"I'm privileged because at Santa Clara I have talked to a number of students who are undocumented, and I often wish that other students could hear their stories to know their struggles and challenges," said Treacy.

A major goal of the mass was to provide legislative support for the reform of immigration laws in the US. Zoe Lofgren, the congresswoman who represents San Jose, attended the mass to show her support and to receive a letter of petition asking the congress to support humane immigration law reform.

Each person who attended the mass was given the opportunity to add their name to the letter of support. According to Lofgren's office, a total of 648 people signed the cards.

"Santa Clara has been educating immigrants since the time it was founded," commented Engh. "It's a school that believes in the principles of just and humane law. We really wanted to be supportive of the efforts to reform the law."

For now, the Jesuits will continue garnering support for immigration reform.

"This is the first time I can remember any kind of gathering like this with all the Jesuit works," said Treacy. "Now there's another similar gathering in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, one in Phoenix, so it's really proof of a commitment of the Society of Jesus for immigration reform."

Contact Emily Entress at eentress@scu.edu or call (408) 544-4586.