A prominent Catholic church in Washington is rallying its community to support immigrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border by comparing the Holy Family to those caught by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“Rally Against Family Separation at the Border,” reads an email from the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, located five blocks from the White House.
The rally against the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy at the border is scheduled across the street from the White House for Saturday morning.
The church’s email includes an image of three immigrants with halos like the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
“Just as the Holy Family, filled with fear and anxiety, were rejected and shunned as they sought a safe place for their family, so too are thousands of immigrants on the southern border. Please consider joining St. Matthews as we add our voices demanding justice for separated families,” said the email notice from the St. Matthews’ Social Justice Committee.
“Join St. Matthew’s Social Justice Committee as we stand in solidarity with families being separated at the US/Mexico border. Stand, let your voice be heard, and demonstrate Jesus’ invitation to welcome the stranger with compassion, treat the immigrant with dignity, and support those in need with His love,” it added.
The administration’s policy, adjusted to keep families together, has sparked demonstrations around the nation. Similar policies under the Obama administration drew little attention.
Pope Francis has embraced the call by U.S. Catholic leaders that the administration end the zero tolerance policy.
