Advocacy in Motion
"Go forth and set the world on fire."
-St Ignatius of Loyola
About Us:
We are active parishioners at Jesus Our Risen Savior Catholic church, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Join us in safeguarding the presence of our dedicated priests and nuns in the community while advocating for their rights during visa processing. Our priests and religious sisters are the heart of our parishes, but a change in immigration policy threatens to tear them away. Due to visa processing backlogs, many face deportation while awaiting renewals. Until several months ago religious workers were allowed to stay in the US while renewal paperwork processed. A change occurred that now requires these workers to return to their country of origin, for at least one year, before allowing them to reapply. You can help keep them here. Join the Our Faith in Action campaign to urge Congress to pass S. 1298 and H.R. 2672, legislation that allows religious workers to stay in our country while awaiting renewal.
Our Story:
We are a large congregation that requires 3 priests to provide pastoral care. Last year we became aware of this change in United States immigration policy when one of our priests was deported. This year one of our religious sisters was also deported, for the same reason. In the coming months we will lose another priest and another religious sister. While this is a Nationwide problem, we have become aware, in South Carolina alone, approximately 40 priests are also at risk of deportation, if S. 1298 and H.R. 2672 are not passed and signed into law.
Act Now
Our Commitment to Justice
Faith in Action seeks to empower parishioners by providing crucial information on proposed legislation affecting non-citizen priests and religious sisters in the U.S. Our campaign emphasizes the importance of these spiritual leaders in our communities. Our priests and religious sisters are the heart of our parishes, but a change in immigration policy threatens to tear them away. Due to visa processing backlogs, many face deportation while awaiting renewals. You can help keep them here. Join our Faith in Action campaign to urge Congress to pass S. 1298 and H.R. 2672, legislation that allows religious workers to stay in our country during processing.
Our primary goal is to advocate for legislative changes that support the continued presence of our faithful priests and religious sisters, ensuring they can serve our communities uninterrupted.
Awareness
Spreading the Word
The Problem:
Recently, a new immigration policy changed the rules for religious workers. Previously, priests, sisters, and other religious workers could remain in the U.S. while their visa renewals were processed. Now, due to significant backlogs, many face visa expirations and are forced to leave the country for at least one year, with no guaranteed reentry. This disrupts their ministries and weakens our parishes.
Raising awareness amongst parishioners about the challenges faced by non-citizen religious workers is essential for fostering community support.
Advocacy
Voicing Concerns
The Solution:
Two bills—S. 1298 in the Senate and H.R. 2672 in the House—offer a solution. These bills would allow religious workers affected by visa processing delays to stay in the U.S. while their renewals are pending. By passing this legislation, Congress can ensure our faith leaders remain where they’re needed most: in our communities.
We strive to engage parishioners in advocacy efforts, encouraging them to reach out to their representatives regarding these critical issues.
Community (coming soon)
Building Support
In the future we will be creating a platform for community discussion to help foster support and solidarity among parishioners in these vital efforts.
Your Impact
Together
Every voice counts in this campaign. Your participation helps elevate the message and bring attention to our cause.
Signatures
Petition
Letters
Discussions
Coming Soon