December 12, 2017
An open letter to our US Congress:
This letter to you is written on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I write with a belief that this letter is written in the same Spirit that St.Juan Diego presented his prayerful wish in 1531 to Bishop Juan deZumarraga to build a chapel where the Mother of God had appeared to him: that with God, anything is possible.
In that same Spirit I am asking you to reconsider your positions on immigration and protection of "Dreamers."
While St. Juan Diego asked that a chapel be built, I am not asking that you not build anything! In fact, it is just the opposite: don’t construct anything that would create division between the US and Mexico. We don’t need a wall. Our countries need a relationship that has a foundation of Catholicism /Christianity that was brought to the Americas from Spain (although a Catholicism that might not have been brought under the best of intentions). May the leaders of our countries work toward a relationship of trust, reciprocity and friendship.
As the powerful Spanish armies assumed control of what is now Mexico in the 16th century, the Mother of God may have appeared to the least powerful in an effort to soften hearts and providecomfort to the people. In that same Spirit, I ask you to consider legislation that would provide permanent legal protection to Dreamers (AKA children of who some call illegal immigrants).
Finally, I pray for all our government leaders and elected representatives. May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede with her prayers for a Spirit of cooperation and respect for all life.
Deacon John Hall
Little Rock
