On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv, Bishop of Savannah, issued a statement encouraging the faithful to write, call, or e-mail their elected officials to express their support for pending legislation that will resolve the status of DACA protected young men and women.
He affirmed, “our Catholic Diocese of Savannah and our country need these optimistic, hardworking young men and women. They have already demonstrated honesty, hard work, civic cooperation and a willingness to be part of our American society. The Catholic Church in the United States has always welcomed the newcomer in our midst, and worked to provide immigrants with the pastoral and material support they need. Today, DACA recipients need our prayers and support. These men and women and their families worship with us at our parishes, study in our schools, and work in various vital industries of South Georgia.”
He also noted that 900 DACA recipients currently serve in our country’s military and 200 teach through Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that hires young people to teach in low-income community schools.
Bishop Hartmayer stressed that “these individuals have already been vetted by the Department of Homeland Security as men and women of good moral character, and have no criminal history. These 800,000 young people were brought into the United States as infants or children by their parents without authorization, and the United States is the only country they know.”
If Congress takes no action before March 5th, 2018, these dreamers will return into the darkness and uncertainty.
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