12/22 Interfaith Posada for All Immigrants & Refugees
Join Rev Andy Schwiebert, Rev Sam Pullen & Elizabeth Gonzalez and Episcopalians and other people of faith plus day laborers and others (see sponsors below) for an interfaith posadas event tomorrow,
Thursday 12/22.
Info from event organizer Rev Francisco Garcia:
The Interfaith Posada for All Immigrant and Refugee Families
on Thursday, December 22; and to call for our government, community, and faith institutions to provide sanctuary for immigrant/refugee families and all who are targeted by hateful actions, laws or policies.
Many faith communities have already begun to take a stand on sanctuary. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, at its annual convention on December 2-3, declared itself a "Sanctuary Diocese," committing itself to "holy resistance" in the face of hateful and discriminatory plans by the new Trump administration to deport millions of undocumented persons, to eliminate programs like DAPA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and other programs providing relief and protection for hundreds of thousands of our immigrant community.
Similar statements can be added by partner faith communities including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Conference, the UCC SCNC, Roman Catholic Archdiocese and more.
As we follow the story of Christmas this time of year -- where Joseph and Mary journeyed as migrant refugees seeking shelter as they awaited the birth of their son, the Christ child -- we will walk together in prayer and solidarity across faith traditions, standing against attempts of the new presidential administration to target, vilify and criminalize members of our immigrant family. All our great faith traditions look to God for refuge and sanctuary, and call upon followers to practice the Golden Rule, to welcome the refugee, the stranger in our midst.
As people of faith and conscience, we call upon our places of worship to be places of welcome, refuge, and sanctuary for immigrant families and all that are targeted by hate.
We demand that our elected officials and that our communities, not give in to the new administration's criminalization of the immigrant family. That all immigrants, and all people, regardless of convictions and background, be protected by the city and county of Los Angeles. Our records do not define us or our communities.
Join us!
Sponsored by CLUE, NLDON, The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Jovenes, Inc., Epiphany Church, St. Stephen's Hollywood, Holy Faith Church Inglewood, and other organizations.
12/22 4-8PM Pasadena Unifed School District considers Safe Zones for Immigrants
As part of a regional response to the threats of mass deportations, local municipalities and school districts have been creating new policies to declare non-cooperation with federal immigration authorities and declare schools off-limits for immigrants and custom enforcement. In short, our children should not be living in fear of deportation or that their parents will be deported while picking them up or dropping them off at school; they should be focused on learning.
In Pasadena this Thursday the Pasadena Unified School Board will take up a proposed policy that declares our schools off-limits to immigration and customs enforcement. If you can attend the next school board meeting tomorrow at 4-8PM, please let Andy know.
to Uganda with Aid Africa next summer. You will see beautiful Uganda, m