This immigration prayer booklet was collected by Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Georgia Christensen. Poems were submitted by Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, FSPA affiliates, prayer partners and partners in mission.
This is a crucifix made by Eduardo Rahbe who lives in Southern Arizona in the town of Elfrida. He was born in Venezuela of parents who were from the Middle East. He has been in the United States for a long time. He is legally blind and makes the crosses as his morning meditation. This was given from Eduardo to Brother David and he passed it to the Poverello House Tucson which he founded.
Original Prayers
Dear God, Angels & Saints,
Our beautiful country that has been filled with your families from all over your world for generations, we humbly ask your help in continuing to welcome people in need so that our wonderful abundance can be shared.
Help us to care for one another, to be sensitive to those already present, and to spread your marvelous gifts among our sisters and brothers. With open hearts, hands to help and gratitude for your blessings, we pray for your assistance, guidance and strength. Amen.
—Celesta Day, FSPA
Foxes have dens & birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.
Matthew 8:20
Spirit of Love,
Help us to see our friend Jesus in all those
who long for a place to lay their heads …
Help us remember we are a country of
immigrants and to recall the truth and joy of
living as one body in this world God loves
so much …
Help us listen in love to the stories of all
who are afraid … and all who long for
justice … with the compassion that flows so
generously from You. Amen.
—Karna Marks, partner in mission
O God of the Universe who so loved mankind, Grant us, in this Year of Hope, to care for and nurture all people of the earth.
Open our heart to hear the plight of the poor, the immigrant.
As we walk together along the Emmaus road
of life,
May we, through our prayer and action, give
hope and strength to the impoverished, the
immigrant.
Enable them to stand tall and be met with
justice and love.
May peace abound in our beings. Amen.
—Joan Gerhards, FSPA affiliate
Oh God,
You know and are in the hearts and
fears of all those who are fleeing from
horrors of war, persecution, violence,
poverty, hatred and whatever destroys
life. You know all that has happened in the lives of all people. You know what it means to be estranged in a foreign country, being sought after, not able to stay rooted in your own created land.
It's terrifying to imagine getting up each day, living in fear of being hunted down, snatched up because of who you are and how you are searching for a better life.
It's hard to perceive a life filled with energy, hope and dreams suddenly snuffed out because of others' hatred and fears.
We ask you to surround all immigrants,
refugees with total protection and safety.
Give us, as companions, the strength to walk with and stand in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters. We are all your children, Oh God. We need you now, more than ever. Amen.
—Kathy Roberg, FSPA
Let us be humble and be the living Christ to
those on the margins. Let us pray for
strength to be the calm in their storm,
however we are able.
—Lavina Taylor, FSPA affiliate
Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves
and fishes, you provided more than food for
the body, you offered us the gift of yourself,
the gift that satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were
filled with fear and doubt, but you poured
out your love and compassion on the
migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers
and sisters.
Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.
Lord Jesus, help us by your grace:
To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brothers and sisters;
- To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;
- To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;
- To share of our abundance, as you spread a banquet before us;
- To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.
We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family, a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity, in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
—Carol Knapp, FSPA affiliate
Prayer for the Immigrant Needleworker
Loving God,
You who guide us through every journey,
bless the hands of this immigrant,
who stitches her story into every thread.
Grant her strength in her labor,
peace in her solitude
and hope in her heart as she creates.
May each needle’s pull be a reminder
that she is weaving a future filled with purpose.
Bless her work, O Lord,
and let it bring both sustenance and joy.
Through her craft, may she find connection,
dignity, and the promise of brighter days
ahead. Amen.
—Meg Paulino, FSPA affiliate and partner
in mission (with ChatGPT)
Prayer to St. Gabriel:
St. Gabriel, guide and protector, we beseech you to “angel” the many people around the world who experience the horrors of being forced from their home, bereft and deprived beyond what our minds and hearts can imagine.
For those responding with generous hearts and open hands give protection and
courage to “feed the hungry, clothe the
naked, shelter the homeless…”
Open the minds and hearts of those leaders, who are imposing inhumane conditions to fellow humans and the destructive decisions for our Mother Earth, to come to understand all as brothers and sisters, precious and good.
St. Gabriel, protect, guide and graciously hear our prayers. Lead us all to “peace on earth and let it begin with me.”
Amen.
—Rita Heires, FSPA
“And the angel told Joseph to take Mary and the Child and flee...”
What a frightening command, what uncertainty, what a plethora of unknown, what risks!
The flight of Joseph and Mary is repeated in so many ways, so many places in the world.
The greed, hatred, bigotry, ego of today are but mutations of what was theirs to endure: risking safety, freedom, a better life.
For to the emigrant, the immigrant, the refugee, all in the danger of leaving their
homeland, countless the tragedies, Mary and Joseph, protect them, be with them and all the generous, courageous and compassionate who welcome and provide assistance.
The children, separated from parents
and families, frightened by the armed
guards, a language that means nothing. They
must feel, “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child…a long way from home.”
Mary and Joseph, you know so well this terror of being driven from your homeland. In this time of political exploitation, hear the cry of the children and their families. Come to their aid, grant them your protection, guidance and abiding care.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen
—Rita Heires, FSPA
As our blessed St. Francis and St. Clare opened their arms to differences – We beseech you Heavenly Father to:
Open the eyes of our leaders to need and suffering of immigrants;
Open the ears of the indifferent to the cry of immigrants;
Open the hearts of all to embrace our fellow humankind filled with your love and acceptance.
Fill our world with the compassion and love for each other as shown by our Saints Francis and Clare. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
—Bernadette Ostby, FSPA affiliate
Other Contributions
AWAKEN US
Lord of all hopefulness, awaken us.
Show us the meaning in our toil
That we may ever rejoice in the promise of
the seeds we sow.
Lord of all righteousness, awaken us.
Show us the good path
That we may walk in confidence in Your
wisdom and understanding.
Lord of all hospitality, awaken us.
Show us the refuge of eagles' wings
That we may always be people of shelter in
times of storm.
Lord of all freedom, awaken us.
Show us the courage that called our
forefathers out of bondage
That we may always stand with the bound
and the oppressed, and be their champions.
Lord of all peace, awaken us.
Show us the heart that stills even raging waters
That we may make still raging hearts, and
reconcile warring neighbors.
Lord of all charity, awaken us.
Teach us of the unending return on our
sacrifice
That we may rejoice more fully in our giving.
Lord you have eyes for the just and ears for
their cry.
Awaken in us a heart of justice
That you may count us among their number.
Amen.
—Catholic Relief Services
Episcopal Bishop, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, publicly called out Trump to his face at an inaugural service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President.
Millions have put their trust in you, and as
you told the nation yesterday, you have felt
the providential hand of a loving God. In the
name of our God, I ask you to have mercy
upon the people in our country who are
scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and
transgender children in Democratic,
Republican, and independent families, some
who fear for their lives. The people who
pick our crops and clean our office
buildings, who labor in poultry farms and
meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes
after we eat in restaurants and work the
night shifts in hospitals, they may not be
citizens or have the proper documentation,
but the vast majority of immigrants are not
criminals. They pay taxes and are good
neighbors. They are faithful members of our
churches and mosques, synagogues,
gurdwara, and temples.
I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on
those in our communities whose children
fear their parents will be taken away, and
that you help those who are fleeing war
zones and persecution in their own lands to
find compassion and welcome here. Our
God teaches us that we are to be merciful to
the stranger, for we were all once strangers
in this land. May God grant us the strength
and courage to honor the dignity of every
human being, to speak the truth to one
another in love, and walk humbly with each
other and our God, for the good of all
people, the good of all people in this nation
and the world. Amen.”
—Submitted by Sue Lund, FSPA affiliate
My crops have failed year after year. I crossed many borders to come to this Wall. I
sold everything I owned to find the money
to pay for the trip. All of my hope is for a
better life on the other side of the Wall. I
only want to work and be safe. Pray for me.
Pray for me. I have lived in your country, in
the shadows, underground, working hard for
less than minimum wage. I have cleaned
your toilets. I have processed the chickens
you eat. I have picked the vegetables for
your salad. You don’t know me. You don’t
see me, even though I have been your neighbor for 20 years. Pray for me.
Pray for me. My children are citizens of the
United States. They are teenagers. We are
all afraid. They wouldn’t know how to live
in Mexico. They don’t even speak fluent
Spanish. What will happen if I am deported?
Pray for me.
Pray for me. I have come here alone. I am
16 years old. My parents are afraid of what
will happen to me if I stay in my country.
The cartels want my body. I have left my
friends and family. I don’t know anyone in
the United States. Pray for me.
Let us pray for the “stranger among us.” Let
us pray for those who work to defend their
rights.
Let us pray for the people who have the
power to determine the fate of our brothers
and sisters who lack the proper papers. May
their hearts be filled with mercy, because the
“stranger among us” is none other than Christ. Amen.
—Written by Jeanette Arnquist, Board of Directors Tucson Poverello House
—Submitted by Lavina Taylor, FSPA affiliate
Attributed to Oscar Romero
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is
the difference between the master builder
and the worker.
We are workers not master builders.
Ministers not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.
—Submitted by Marianna Ableidinger, FSPA
Pope Francis’ Prayer for the 2023 World Migration Day
God, Father Almighty, grant us the grace to work tirelessly for justice, solidarity, and peace, so that all your children may enjoy the freedom to choose whether to migrate or stay.
Grant us the courage to denounce all the
horrors of our world, and to combat every
injustice that mars the beauty of your
children and the harmony of our common
home.
Sustain us by the power of your Spirit, so that we can reflect your tender love to every migrant whom you place in our path, and to spread in hearts and in every situation the culture of encounter and care.
—Submitted by Karen Kappell, FSPA
A Migrant’s Prayer:
“From the bottom of my heart, I give thanks
to you, Lord, for being so good to me and
for giving me another chance at life. Also, I
know, everything you do for me is in my best interest. Your love for me is vast. All this evidence you put before me, strong evidence, is to find out how strong my faith toward you is. Today I humble myself toward you and repent for all the ways I’ve been bad to you. I pray for you to take away from me all the bad that exists in me and not separate yourself from me for one minute.
Guide me down the road of good and look
after me and all my loved ones. You alone
are perfect and full of goodness. Thank you
for your patience, for your calm, and for
listening to me. Thank you, Jesus.”
—Taken from the book “Voices of the Border,” Chapter 12 Spiritual Life, page 188. ‘
—Submitted by Lavina Taylor, FSPA affiliate
"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."
—St. Augustine
—Submitted by Lavina Taylor, FSPA affiliate
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Welcome with Dignity collaborated with the Florence Project and CGRS to create a media toolkit that provides guidance on how to navigate media interviews and share the story of someone on the move, while protecting their safety and immigration case.
The media toolkit is available in English, Spanish, Kreyol, French, Portuguese, and Ukrainian, with more languages to come.
Welcome with Dignity colaboró con el Florence Project y CGRS para crear un kit de herramientas para medios que brinda orientación sobre cómo manejar entrevistas con los medios y compartir la historia de una persona en movimiento, al mismo tiempo que se protege su seguridad y su caso de inmigración.
El kit de herramientas para medios está disponible en inglés, español, kriol, francés, portugués y ucraniano, y se agregarán más idiomas próximamente.