Family unity is a cornerstone of our American immigration system and a foundational element of Catholic teaching.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration

Join the growing movement of vigils around the world.

In every Catholic church, a candle perpetually burns near the tabernacle, a reminder of the presence of the Body of Christ.

We invite you, as a member of the Body of Christ, to join in this ancient tradition as we keep vigil with immigrant families—those separated at our southern border, over continents by forced migration, or torn apart by deportation.

Keep this candle burning in your window as you continue to keep watch and pray.

May we, the Body of Christ, be a light in the darkness.

How It Works

Parishes

Unite as a parish community to keep prayerful vigil for immigrant families with a candle burning in your church as a light in the darkness. Use the resources below to provide context and greater understanding in your church community.

Schools

Resources to unite as a school community to keep prayerful vigil for immigrant families will be available by August 10.

Individuals

Keep a candle burning in your home as a sign of solidarity and a reminder that we are called to prayer and action on behalf of immigrant families. 

Next Steps

Action

  • Join a Pilgrimage

    Find out if any pilgrimages to local immigration detention centers are happening near you, and join. If no pilgrimages are happening in your area, contact Kim Miller at [email protected] to learn more about how to get one started.

  • Call Congress

    Call your Congresspersons using (202) 224-3121 and share the following message: Please support immigration policies that honor the human dignity of all migrants. The U.S. should uphold due process, the right not to be detained indefinitely, to not be returned to danger, and the right to maintain family unity and not be separated.

  • Write a Letter

    Write a letter to a person in an immigration detention center. Contact Joanna Williams at [email protected] to learn more.

Sharing

On Twitter

On Facebook

Add a Facebook photo frame to your profile picture to let your community know that you are keeping vigil for immigrant families. To add the frame:

  1. While in your profile, hover over your profile picture and select “Update Profile Picture”
  2. Select “Add Frame”
  3. Search “Ignatian” in the Add a Frame to Your Profile box.
  4. Select the “Light in the Darkness Vigil for Immigrant Families” frame.

Prayer

God of compassion,
We seek your protection and comfort for immigrant families.

For families separated by violence and destruction, forced to flee their homes and everything they know;

For the asylum seeking families separated in the name of border security;

For parents who send their children alone to a new land in hope of building
a future for them;

For families separated here in our country by deportation;

Provide solace and peace to these families. Comfort them in their

time of sorrow. Guide those in positions of power toward compassion.

Grant us the courage and compassion to be a presence of welcome,

of radical hospitality for the most vulnerable in our midst.

Amen.

Family unity is a cornerstone of our American immigration system and a foundational element of Catholic teaching.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration

In every Catholic church, a candle perpetually burns near the tabernacle, a reminder of the presence of the Body of Christ.

We invite you, as a member of the Body of Christ, to join in this ancient tradition as we keep vigil with immigrant families—those separated at our southern border, over continents by forced migration, or torn apart by deportation.

Keep this candle burning in your window as you continue to keep watch and pray.

May we, the Body of Christ, be a light in the darkness.

How It Works

Parishes

Unite as a parish community to keep prayerful vigil for immigrant families with a candle burning in your church as a light in the darkness. Use the resources below to provide context and greater understanding in your church community.

Next Steps

Action

  • Join a Pilgrimage

    Find out if any pilgrimages to local immigration detention centers are happening near you, and join. If no pilgrimages are happening in your area, contact Kim Miller at [email protected] to learn more about how to get one started. A list of pilgrimages will be added by August 3.

  • Call Congress

    Call your Congresspersons using (202) 224-3121 and share the following message: Please support immigration policies that honor the human dignity of all migrants. The U.S. should uphold due process, the right not to be detained indefinitely, to not be returned to danger, and the right to maintain family unity and not be separated.

  • Write a Letter

    Write a letter to a person in an immigration detention center. Contact Joanna Williams at [email protected] to learn more.

  • Learn More About Fostering

    Learn more about how you can become a foster care family to a child impacted by immigration policies.

Sharing

On Twitter

On Facebook

Add a Facebook photo frame to your profile picture to let your community know that you are keeping vigil for immigrant families. To add the frame:

  1. While in your profile, hover over your profile picture and select “Update Profile Picture”
  2. Select “Add Frame”
  3. Search “Ignatian” in the Add a Frame to Your Profile box.
  4. Select the “Light in the Darkness Vigil for Immigrant Families” frame.

Prayer

God of compassion,
We seek your protection and comfort for immigrant families.

For families separated by violence and destruction, forced to flee their homes and everything they know;

For the asylum seeking families separated in the name of border security;

For parents who send their children alone to a new land in hope of building
a future for them;

For families separated here in our country by deportation;

Provide solace and peace to these families. Comfort them in their

time of sorrow. Guide those in positions of power toward compassion.

Grant us the courage and compassion to be a presence of welcome,

of radical hospitality for the most vulnerable in our midst.

Amen.