SAN DIEGO — More than 4,000 people of faith participated in a procession around Balboa Park to proclaim that “All Are Sacred” on Sept. 27, World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Bishop Michael Pham, of the Diocese of San Diego, led the procession, walking alongside dozens of priests, deacons, religious men and women, as well about 20 faith leaders from other traditions.
They gathered at 2 p.m., on one corner of the park, under cloudy skies, hot temperatures and intermittent showers. The participants — many of whom had traveled in groups from their parishes — heard brief reflections from various faith leaders. Then they set off for a 1.1-mile walk around the park, hoisting signs supporting immigrants, while singing hymns in English and Spanish.
The faith leaders who addressed the participants included Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido, Father Ruben Arceo, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Jesuit Father Scott Santarosa, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (Barrio Logan), all from the San Diego Diocese; the Rev. Justine Sullivan, First Unitarian Universalist; Imam Taha Hassane, Islamic Center of San Diego; the Rev. Allisyn Thomas, St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral; Rabbi Mike Rothbaum, Dor Hadash; and Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Beth Israel.
The multi-faith procession, titled “All Are Sacred,” was organized by the diocese, in collaboration with the San Diego Organizing Project, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and SEIU-USWW Local 221.
The following are Bishop Pham’s reflection before the thousands of faithful took to the streets:
“Good afternoon, brothers and sisters, friends and fellow people of faith. You know, when we started to prepare for this event, the first thing I did was I looked at weather maps. Prayed that would be a beautiful day. Well, this past week, you know, we saw sunshine and hot weather, and then what happened today? Cloudy. Cloudy, rain. But you know, in our tradition, Scripture says when we see clouds, we know that God is protecting and guiding us. And for my tradition, when we see rain during the day of warm weather like this, it’s a sign of grace. God’s grace pouring down upon us as we gather here today. Isn’t that beautiful?
“Amen!
“So I’m very, very grateful and thankful for all of you being here today. This is a beautiful sight, to see people from across our region gathered together, people of different faith traditions, ethnicities, cultures, languages and life experiences.
“I am especially grateful to my brother Bishop Felipe Pulido, to our priests and deacons, to the religious and community leaders who have joined us, and to all of you who have come today to raise awareness on this World Day of Migrants and Refugees, a day when we stand with our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters. Whether we know it or not, we are all migrants in this world. Amen?
“Pope Leo has given us Catholics these words from Jesus on this World Day: ‘Even just one of these children.’ Those words remind us that before there are questions of politics or policy, before there are arguments about borders and immigration, there is a human person before us, a life in a womb, a child, a mother, a father, a family, an elder, a neighbor — all are sacred. Every human being is sacred. No matter where we were born, no matter where we now live, no matter what language we speak, and no matter what our immigration status may be. That is why we are here.
“As bishop of the Diocese of San Diego, here along with the border, I have listened to many of our immigrant brothers and sisters. I have listened to families who are afraid, parents who worry about being separated from their children, people who are afraid to go to work, to take their children to school, to seek the help they need, or even sometimes to come to church.
“These are not simply stories we hear on the news. These are our neighbors. They are members of our congregations and our communities. They work besides us. Their children go to school with our children. They worship besides us.
“Some of them are afraid of being here today, but I know many of them are watching with us. To you, especially, I want to say, ‘You are not alone. We see you. We hear you. And we walk with you.’
“There are also many people who are not here today because they have been deported and have been mistreated, without due process. Last year, back in November, my brother bishops of the United States and I issued this statement: ‘We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.’
“That is what our world lacks. We desperately need to remember, behind every debate about immigration are human beings. There are mothers and fathers. There are grandparents. There are young people dreaming about their future …
“Our nation has the right and responsibility to regulate its borders and to establish laws governing immigration, but how we enforce those laws is also a moral and ethical issue. We cannot protect borders by forgetting the people who stand before them. We cannot uphold the law by setting aside human dignity. We cannot allow fear to convince us that some human beings matter less than others.
“Our religious traditions may express this truth in different ways, but today people of many faiths stand together to affirm a common conviction: Human dignity is not something a government gives us. It is not something earned by citizenship. It does not depend upon the documents we carry. It belongs to us because we are human beings. For Christians, we say even more: Every person is created in the image of God, the image and likeness of God.’ All are sacred.
“Immigration has become one of the most divisive political issues in our nation. People have strong disagreements about policy, about borders, and about what our laws should be.
“Those conversations must continue, but we cannot allow politics to take away our faith, inspired values, or our voice. When human beings are frightened, faith must speak. When family faces separation, faith must speak. When people are treated primarily as problems rather than as persons, faith must speak. And our voice must not be a voice of hatred or condemnation. It must be a voice of conscience, a voice of compassion, a voice of justice, a voice that reminds our nation of its deepest values and reminds each of us of our responsibility to one another. That is what we are doing here today, that is why what we are doing today matters. We have not simply gathered for a rally. Let us make this a procession of faith and solidarity. Let us walk peacefully. Let us walk prayerfully. Let us walk with hope.
“And, as we walk together through the streets of our city, may our presence proclaim one simple truth: All are sacred. Walking requires us to move. It requires us to leave where we were standing. And perhaps that is also what our country needs from us now. We need to move beyond fear, beyond labels, beyond the divisions that tell us we must view one another as enemies. We need to encounter one another again. But our walk cannot end when this procession ends. Tomorrow, we must continue walking with one another in our churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples.
“We must continue walking with one another in our schools, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, and especially with those who are afraid to walk alone. We must listen to one another. We must protect the dignity of families. We must accompany those who are frightened. We must speak when human dignity is threatened, and we must work together for immigration policies and practices that are just, humane, and worthy of the dignity of every human person.
“All are sacred.
“May the Almighty God bless every family represented here today. May the Almighty protect those who live in fear. May the Almighty give wisdom and compassion to those entrusted with leadership. And may the Almighty give all of us the courage to continue walking together for justice and peace and for the dignity of every human person.
“Thank you for being here and walking together. Amen.”
