Iowa church offers sanctuary for illegal immigrants
After a large raid in Iowa in which more that 400 people were arrested, an Iowa church has offered sanctuary for the families affected by the raid.
It was about that time, with several dozen cowering people inside the church, when Sister Mary McCauley, the pastor administrator at St. Bridget’s, found out Father Ouderkirk was attending a ceremony for diocesan priests nearly two hours away in Dubuque. Unable to reach him directly, she left a simple, urgent message: “We need to see a collar here.”
By the time Father Ouderkirk extricated himself and reached Postville in the evening, nearly 400 people filled the rotunda and social hall of St. Bridget. They occupied every pew, every aisle, every folding chair, every inch of floor. Children clutched mothers. One girl shook uncontrollably.
A few volunteers from the old Postville, descendants of the Irish and Norwegian immigrants who settled here more than a century ago, set out food. Others took turns standing watch at the church door, as if the sight of an Anglo might somehow dissuade the feared Migra, as the immigrants call Immigration and Customs Enforcement, from invading their sanctuary.
nancysl
What is not understood about ‘breaking the law’? Would the church members have done the same for murderers, robbers, rapists??
When you decide to break the law you make a decision to suffer the consequences. That is called accountability. That is what the citizens of this country endure. Why are illegals given special treatment????
July 14th, 2008 at 1:41 pmjohn
Illegal aliens should have not special priviliges they should be sent back where they belong along with all the politicians who support them period.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:00 amHISKOOLEDUKATD
I.C.E. should get 100 US Marshalls and US Army MP and surround the church and remove every illegal alien and turn the children over to relatives or Child Protective Services. The nuns and the priests should be arrested for aiding and abetting illegal immigration. If you were a regular citizen and did this you would sure be arrested. The parish should be made to forfeit the church property used as sanctuary. That would put a stop to that. You don’t see any more of those crazy “Waco” cults any more, do you ????
July 19th, 2008 at 9:28 amAnonymous
Why are illegals given special treatment????
July 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am