Standing with Immigrants, Special Assembly, and Corpus Christi

We Stand in Solidarity With Immigrants Amid Enforcement Surge

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35)

In a sincere reflection, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed considerable concern over the fear and anxiety caused by an increase in recent immigration enforcement actions. This reflection reflects a statement I issued in January about similar changes in immigration enforcement policy. Our approach is a simple one that is often forgotten: We must remember that every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and our actions as individuals and as a nation must reflect that truth.

While acknowledging the role of law enforcement in maintaining order, Archbishop Broglio emphasized that enforcement alone cannot solve the nation’s broken immigration system. Speaking on behalf of his brother bishops, he condemned arbitrary arrests and the erosion of due process, affirming the Church’s solidarity with immigrant communities. “As your shepherds, your fear echoes in our hearts and we make your pain our own,” he said. 

We bishops call for just, humane reforms and express gratitude for Catholic service providers working to support the most vulnerable.

An Update from the Bishop’s Special Assembly

Every three years, the bishops of the United States gather for a special assembly. This assembly is a meeting that includes some business and an extended spiritual retreat. Unlike our regular November meetings, where we focus primarily on the work of the Conference and set aside a shorter portion of the time for spiritual reflection, this special assembly gives us space to reflect, pray, and be renewed in our ministry as shepherds of the Church.

This year, we are meeting in San Diego. The first part of our time together, which took place from Saturday through Monday, focused on committee work and business sessions. As chair of the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America, our committee met to distribute the funds donated to the special collection for the Church in Latin America. Many of the pastoral projects we decided to support focus on the formation of seminarians and religious men and women. We also discussed urgent needs in places like Cuba and Haiti. Funding was awarded to support the continued rebuilding of churches in Haiti that were destroyed during the terrible 2010 earthquake. Fifteen years later, the need persists, but so does the faith of the people in Haiti.

Following our business meetings, we began the retreat portion of the assembly. Bishop Michael Miller, CSB, the Archbishop-Emeritus of Vancouver, led us in a series of powerful reflections. He focused on the teachings of Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis regarding the vocation and mission of bishops. His presentations drew from the writings and homilies of the former Popes, offering deep insights into our role as successors of the apostles. We also spent time in small-group conversations with our fellow bishops to reflect and share more personally about our own unique journeys and responsibilities.
After a Mass to begin the retreat portion of the assembly at the University of San Diego, we were treated to a wonderful evening on the deck of the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier which is now a museum. There, we enjoyed a dinner graciously hosted by the Pontifical Mission Societies of the United States, whose national director is Father Roger Landry, a priest from the Diocese of Fall River.

This time in San Diego is productive and spiritually enriching. It reminds me once again of the importance of stepping back to reflect and renew ourselves in our ministry. I will return home with a grateful heart, inspired by the shared fulfillment and challenges of my brother bishops and the enduring commitment we have to serve the Church and the people of God.

Corpus Christi Sunday and an Eucharistic Revival

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus, also known as Corpus Christi Sunday, will be observed this Sunday. This Solemnity celebrates the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Unlike the seasons of Lent and Easter, when our focus is on the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ, we now enter a period in the Liturgical Year that follows His Ascension into Heaven. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ calls us to reflect on the enduring presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, reminding us that He is still with us in a real and sacramental way. Corpus Christ Sunday and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist inspired the National Eucharistic Revival, a “joyful, expectant, grassroots response of the Church in the United States to the divine invitation to be united once again around the source and summit of our faith in the celebration of the Eucharist.”

Here at the assembly in San Diego with my brother bishops, one particularly moving experience was the Mass we celebrated at the University of San Diego, where we were joined by pilgrims from the National Eucharistic Revival. These pilgrims had arrived in San Diego to mark the end of their journey, providing a wonderful moment to pray with and thank them for their tireless work to celebrate the Eucharist.  

Sincerely, 

+Bishop da Cunha