“ICE was here in Morristown today. Please pray for us.”
That was the text message I received midday on Sunday, Jan. 11, from Father Duberney Villamizar, the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland parish in Morristown. I would presume that most readers, by now, would have heard that there was an “Immigration Enforcement Action” in Morristown on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 11, reportedly focused on a laundromat located a few blocks from St. Margaret’s Church, as well as in another area, also within a few blocks of the church. The enforcement activity apparently began while the 8:45 a.m. Mass was being celebrated. By the end of the Mass, word had spread, and some of the parishioners were afraid to leave the church to go home.
I called Father Duberney soon after receiving his text message and was speaking with him at 12:30 p.m. The last morning Mass on a Sunday at St. Margaret’s is the 12:15 p.m. Spanish Mass and on most Sundays, the Church is full for the 12:15 p.m. Mass. Often, there is standing room only in a church that seats 700 people. At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11, as another priest was celebrating the Mass, Father Duberney told me that the church was almost empty. People had heard what had happened that morning and were afraid to leave their homes to go to church. The next day, Monday, Father Duberney received a phone call from the local public school, asking for his assistance, because so many students were absent. Parents were afraid to send their children to school, or they were afraid to leave their homes to drop their children off or pick them up from school.
One of the people who was apprehended and detained on Sunday morning, Jan. 11, was a 17-year-old high school senior who was injured in the course of being detained. Fortunately, with the help of the St. Margaret’s community and legal assistance, the young man was released from detention on Thursday afternoon. There were reports that the father of a 6-year-old girl was detained as he left his home to pick up food, and the little girl was left alone and uncared for until neighbors found her as she looked for her father.
In an interview with a local television reporter, Father Duberney made the point that a large majority of the parishioners at St. Margaret’s were immigrants who had come here legally, but they were now living in fear that they could be detained at any moment if they left their homes. In the same report, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, two women who lived in the community were interviewed, but were afraid to give their names or show their faces. They were out for a walk, for exercise, but now realized that they had to cut their walk short because one of them had forgotten to bring her passport with her and was afraid she would be detained if she encountered a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
I ask myself, as I believe many are asking themselves, could we have imagined that we would be living in these conditions in the United States of America in 2026? On Monday morning, I received an email from a concerned parishioner expressing his thoughts about what was happening. The following is part of what he wrote: “It’s especially disturbing that ICE would conduct these raids on a Sunday morning within sight of a church, at a time when people are coming to and going from Mass. It’s enough to make one’s blood boil.” Upon reading the message, my first reaction was that I might reply and let the person know that I shared his feelings, but, upon prayer and reflection, I realized I should send a different reply. I hope and pray that we are learning that we need to be attentive to our emotions in times and circumstances such as these. We need to bring all of this to prayer, asking the Lord to guide us in choosing our words and actions.
Some may not wish to hear from me (or others) that we need to remember that the law enforcement agents are doing their jobs. As leaders, in the Church and in the community, we need, at times such as this, to ask (or demand that) our elected leaders and those responsible for law enforcement ensure that agents treat each person with respect for their human rights and human dignity. We also must work with elected leaders at the local, state, and federal levels to ask whether there is not a better way to enforce the law without causing such fear in law-abiding communities.
Father Duberney, along with his parochial vicar, Father Sebastian Munoz Chavarria, the staff, leaders, and volunteers of St. Margaret’s parish are working closely with local leaders in Morristown and beyond to offer assistance, support, and accompaniment to those who are currently living in fear. There is a Catholic Charities sponsored ministry in St. Margaret’s, called “Mary’s Hands,” which, for many years, has been offering material, emotional, and spiritual support to families with small children and, especially to single mothers. The director of “Mary’s Hands” at St. Margaret’s, Theresa Prendergast told me on Sunday, Jan. 18 that, in the course of the week, volunteers had been in phone contact with more than 70 mothers, offering them assistance, as many of those mothers are currently afraid to leave their homes. We, as a diocese, are working together with leaders and elected officials at many levels to express our concerns about the present circumstances in Morristown and in other immigrant communities in our diocese and surrounding areas.
As Christians, especially in moments and circumstances such as these, we must remember the words of Jesus, “You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.” (Mt. 5:13-16)
I had the opportunity to celebrate the 8:45 a.m. Spanish Mass at St. Margaret’s on Sunday, Jan. 18. The attendance was less than 50 percent of normal. The Mass was livestreamed, and many parishioners and families were watching and united in prayer, but they surely would have preferred to be at Mass in person and able to receive Communion. It seems that the presence and activity of ICE agents may be abating in Morristown at the moment, but it seems to be increasing in other local communities within our diocese.
I would ask you, dear reader, on behalf of Father Duberney and the people in Morristown and those in other places who are currently living in fear, to respond with me to their request. Yes, to keep them in our prayers and also to pray for our country, for our elected leaders, and for all those facing challenging and difficult circumstances at this time. Let us pray and work for justice and for Peace. For more information and resources to support those in our immigrant communities, you can go to the USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) “You are Not Alone: Justice for Immigrants” website.
