PHOTO BY NATALIA DURON

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Parents are afraid to drive to work and children listen for a knock at the door. Families worry that a loved one may leave home and never return.

Those fears are reaching Catholic communities across the Southern region in the United States, said church leaders on Sept. 30 at the regional gathering, “Deepening Our Moral Witness.”

Nearly 200 people gathered in Knoxville to confront the effects of immigration enforcement and organize a plan rooted in solidarity with migrants.

The conference invited diocesan leaders and communicators, including bishops, clergy, religious sisters, Catholic ministry leaders, communication directors, journalists and community partners from across the region to discuss how the Church can better respond to the fear affecting families.

Organized by Hope Border Institute, the Diocese of Knoxville, the Diocese of Lexington and the Center for Migration Studies of New York, the day included discussions on Catholic social teaching, Hispanic ministry, communications, parish planning and Mass.

“The church stands with families who are afraid,” said Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, during a press conference at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “The church affirms the God-given dignity of every person. And the church is calling on public leaders for meaningful immigration reforms that respond to that dignity, that respond to the contributions of migrants.”

“Parents think twice before driving to work, going to Mass, picking kids up from school, children are listening for a knock at the door,” Corbett said. “These aren’t strangers. They’re parishioners, co-workers and neighbors.”

Participating dioceses included the Archdiocese of Atlanta; Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina; Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee; Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee; Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky; Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia; and the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee.

Standing with immigrant communities

The day began with a presentation on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “You Are Not Alone” campaign, which seeks to help the Church accompany immigrant communities affected by immigration enforcement.

Corbett then turned to Catholic social teaching on migration, emphasizing that migration is not separate from the Church’s identity or mission. He pointed to “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope,” a 2003 pastoral letter issued jointly by Catholic bishops in the U.S. and Mexico.

The letter outlines principles that include the right to remain in one’s homeland when possible, the right to migrate when basic needs cannot be met, the right of nations to regulate their borders humanely, the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers and respect for the dignity and human rights of all migrants.

“A litmus test for social justice today is the treatment of migrants,” Corbett said during his session.

Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, hosts a session on the Catholic social teaching on migration at the Sept. 30 regional gathering, “Deepening Our Moral Witness,” in Knoxville, Tenn. The gathering invited nearly 200 Catholic leaders and communicators to discuss how to better accompany immigrant communities. Photo by Natalia Duron

The discussion emphasized that the Church could recognize a government’s responsibility to regulate its borders while also insisting that immigration policies respect human dignity. Those principles, Corbett said, cannot be separated.

That responsibility, he shared, extends beyond public statements. It requires accompanying families, protecting vulnerable people, organizing communities and advocating for policies that respect the dignity of every person.

Parishes on the front lines

A session on Hispanic ministry explored how dioceses and parishes can turn that responsibility into practical support for immigrant families.

Blanca Primm, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Knoxville, discussed efforts to connect parish leaders with community organizations and public officials, share families’ stories and accompany people to court hearings.

Deacon Chris Gutiérrez, director of Hispanic and Latino Ministry for the Diocese of Owensboro, emphasized the importance of maintaining contact with people in detention.

Elizabeth Elfers of Christ the King Church in Nashville urged others to make connections with nonprofit organizations and educate parish communities about Catholic teaching on immigration.

These efforts reflect the role parishes can play in supporting people who may be afraid to seek help or uncertain about where to turn.

During a press conference held before the noon Mass, Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville called for advocacy.

Participants of the regional gathering, “Deepening Our Moral Witness,” attended Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 30. The day also included discussions on Catholic social teaching, Hispanic ministry, communications and parish planning. Photo by Natalia Duron

“We have a responsibility to care for the dignity of each and every human person and to respect the rights and due process that are due to citizens and anyone who lives on U.S. soil,” Bishop Beckman said.

Yuri Cunza, president and CEO of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, described the impact on businesses with fewer customers, employers whose workers are afraid to leave home and the wider economic effects of immigration enforcement.

“Because behind every economic number is a person,” Cunza said. “Behind every worker is a family. And behind every immigration case is a human story.”

Bishop Brian Cole of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee, who joined the Catholic leaders at the press conference, likewise emphasized that welcoming migrants is rooted in Christian faith.

“As Christians, we are called to welcome the migrant and the stranger,” he said. “We are all living in a time of fear and chaos and brutality.”

Bishop John Stowe of Lexington urged the Church to stand directly alongside immigrants rather than speak about their troubles from afar.

“Not adjacent to the suffering, not issuing statements about it from a safe distance, but right in the midst and in solidarity with immigrants and migrants,” he said.

Bishop Stowe described families who fear that a parent may not return from their job or that a child may be left waiting for someone who never comes home.

“Migrants and refugees are not an issue, are not a problem to be solved, and not a population to be managed,” he said. “They are members of the one human family.”

When asked how Catholics can help parishioners understand immigration as a pro-life issue, Bishop Stowe said the Church’s defense of life must include every person, regardless of immigration status.

“Pro-life begins with understanding that each person made in the image and likeness of God is given inalienable rights,” he said. “That doesn’t require documents. That doesn’t require papers.”

To be pro-life, Bishop Stowe said, is to affirm not only the unborn child but also life at every stage and each person’s right to live and flourish.

Communicating with shared values

Afternoon sessions focused on how dioceses and parishes can communicate about migration safely and plan an appropriate response.

Astrid Liden, communications officer for the Hope Border Institute, encouraged participants to approach conversations about immigration by starting with shared values rather than statistics alone.

The Church already has guidance from the pope, bishops and Catholic teaching, she said, including an emphasis on respecting life. The challenge is applying those principles in everyday conversations, especially when immigration has divided families and communities, she said.

Rather than beginning with numbers or descriptions of the most disturbing events, Liden encouraged Catholics to start with values people can recognize, which is the desire to keep families together and the belief that every person has dignity.

“We have to start from common ground,” she said. “And how do we start there? By using the values we share as people and the values we have as Catholics, which reflect the teachings of the Church.”

The goal is not simply to change opinions, she said, but to help people understand that immigration is not an issue affecting only immigrant communities, but also the Church and the country, she shared.

“Take a step back and realize that, maybe your parish isn’t affected, but your archdiocese is,” she said.

Parishioners can stay informed about what is happening in their communities, learn what resources their diocese already offers, and pray and discern how they can help, Liden said. Possible steps include sharing information with parishioners, speaking with a pastor, starting a parish discussion group or creating a fund to assist families in need.

“The Church can contribute a narrative of hope amid the terrible things immigrant communities are experiencing,” she said. “This cannot be done individually. It cannot be done alone.”

Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., speaks at a discussion panel at the regional gathering in Knoxville, Tenn., “Deepening Our Moral Witness.” Archbishop Hartmayer emphasized the importance of protecting immigrant communities because of the continued positive impact they have had in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Photo by Natalia Duron

The wider impact

During a panel discussion, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., connected the discussion to the contributions of immigrants throughout Georgia.

Archbishop Hartmayer, who previously served as bishop of Savannah, said the state’s dioceses differ in their needs and circumstances, but immigrant communities are an important part of life across Georgia.

He pointed particularly to agricultural workers in southern Georgia, where migrant labor helps sustain the production of fruits and vegetables.

“If the migrant workers weren’t there, economically, there would be a tremendous hit to the state and to the global economic area,” he said.

Archbishop Hartmayer also raised concerns about the consequences of delays in renewing work permits and visas. When people are forced to leave the country while waiting for their paperwork to be processed, families can lose their income, struggle to pay mortgages and face separation.

“It’s just making people’s lives miserable,” he said. “There’s no simple answer, but what we’re going with right now is not an answer.”

The final sessions of the gathering focused on planning next steps within dioceses and parishes. The aim was to move beyond understanding the challenges facing immigrant communities and toward discerning how the Church can respond together.

For Bishop Beckman, that work requires a sustained commitment rather than a single day of discussion.

“The work of building a civilization of love does not happen overnight,” he said during the press conference. “This is an ongoing journey.”