Catholic Theological Union hosts novena for migrants, immigrants

Nine bishops and archbishops from across the United States led prayers and reflections during a March 14-22 national novena for migrants and immigrants hosted by the Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, including Cardinal Cupich on the final day.

The novena, at noon Central Daylight Time most days, was convened over Zoom and was free.

Steven Millies, director of the Bernardin Center and professor of public theology at CTU, said the school wanted to respond in some way to a moment in which many immigrants and migrants feel vulnerable and afraid.

“We’ve entered into an environment where people who are immigrants and migrants don’t feel safe,” Millies said, noting that Pope Francis has from the beginning of his pontificate spoken out for the human dignity of migrants and encouraged the church to see them as people and reach out to them pastorally.

The issue is very close to home at CTU, whose roughly 200 students include representatives of 40 nations, he said, and which forms Catholics for ministry — including ministry to migrants and immigrants.

“There has been a great feeling of wanting to do something,” Millies said. “We’re a school, so we are not equipped to render aid in any concrete kind of way. One thing we can do is convene people, convene people in prayer and give people a sense of mission.”

In addition to prayers and reflections led by the bishops, each day’s offerings included information about Catholic organizations offering support to immigrants.

Millies said he was surprised by the level of support the novena got from registrants, including more than 1,000 who signed up the first day they could; from people at CTU, who have volunteered their talent and expertise; and from the bishops who agreed to participate.

“The most spiritually gratifying part of this for me was discovering how excited and how eager the bishops were to do this,” Millies said. “To a man, they’ve been excited and they’ve been enthusiastic.”

That included bishops who wanted to lead prayers but were unable to make the schedule work.

“I would describe it as an outpouring from our bishops,” he said.

Participating bishops included Archbishop-designate Joe S. Vásquez of Galveston-Houston; Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia; Cardinal Joseph Tobin, CSsR, of Newark; newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop Timothy J. O’Malley of Chicago; Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Lombardo, CFR, of Chicago; Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen of Orange, California; Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, in addition to Cardinal Cupich.

The prelates spoke from their offices and churches, in Spanish and in English, reading Gospel selections that included the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt, the beatitudes and the passage from the Letter to the Corinthians reminding listeners that the Body of Christ has many parts, all equal in dignity.

Cardinal Tobin, who led the prayers on March 16, spoke of the diversity of the Archdiocese of Newark.

“Our local church counts about 1,300,000 people who identify as Catholic,” Cardinal Tobin said. “A significant number of them come from other countries. We celebrated the Eucharist today in about 20 languages. Many of them are the people for whom we’re praying. They are people who are terrified, but people of great faith. When all else fails them, they know that God and God’s mother never do.”

To register, visit ctu.edu/novena.