Last week, the broken American immigration system came to the door of the Parish Center at St. Benedict Cathedral. His name is “Ernesto” – a Mexican farm worker who went to New Jersey in search of the kind of work that American workers decline to perform. When Ernesto arrived in New Jersey, he applied for a work permit, as any law-abiding immigrant laborer is required to do.
Enter the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”).
Ernesto was required to go to the INS office to apply for a “green card,” a work permit, and to be finger-printed; but not to the INS office in nearby Newark, NJ; and not to the INS office in nearby New York City; and not to the INS office in nearby Philadelphia.
Ernesto was required to go to the INS office more than 940 miles away in St. Louis, Missouri.
By the time Ernesto complied with INS requirements and was on his way back to Newark with his work permit in hand, he ran out of money. He came to the door of the Parish Center at St. Ben’s for help and was referred to St. Ben’s St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Ernesto had become the person of Jesus Christ himself at our door. St. Ben’s Parishioners said “Yes” to Jesus Christ at our door, and with $178 of the alms you entrusted to our care (plus some cash for food during the 29-hour bus ride), we bought Ernesto a one-way, non-refundable bus ticket from Evansville, Indiana to Newark, New Jersey.
Thank you. God bless you.
TOTAL DONATIONS: $868.00
Submitted by Deacon Jim Flynn
