Press Release
9/7/2012
Loretto Community stands up for comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the United States
On behalf of the Loretto Community, Loretto president Sister Catherine Mueller today publicly stated that Loretto strongly supports the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 (SB 1258) sponsored by U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, (D-NJ).
In a letter dated Sept. 7 and faxed to U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, (R-Calif.), chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Immigration, Sister Cathy said that the Loretto Community not only supports Senate Bill 1258, but “will support similar legislation that promotes family unification, worker justice and a path to attainable citizenship.” (Similar letters of support were sent to several other U.S. legislators who serve on the Judiciary Sub-Committees on Immigration.)
At its July 2012 Delegate Assembly in St. Louis, the Loretto Community unanimously passed a proposal calling for Loretto to publicly take a stand for comprehensive immigration reform. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of Loretto. The Loretto Community, which is made up of Sisters of Loretto and Co-Members of Loretto, consistently has demonstrated its support for the rights and dignity of all immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
The Loretto Community recognizes the moral imperative to fix a broken immigration system and joins its collective voice with many other reform advocates. As stated in the proposal’s rationale, “Along with people of various faith traditions and humanitarians, the Loretto Community knows that inhumane raids, detention, deportations, abusive treatment and anti-immigrant and racist sentiments toward immigrants fly in the face of the admonition to ‘not oppress the stranger’ and to ‘love the stranger as one’s self.’”
The Loretto Community membership at its July Assembly also pledged to actively promote immigration reform with all members of the Judiciary Sub-Committees on Immigration.
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