Students at Nazareth Academy in La Grange spent the six weeks of Lent learning about and praying for immigrants from six countries.
The project was a way for the school to respond to what has been happening in the United States and especially in the Chicago area with increased immigration enforcement that has caused fear and loss among many communities, school leaders said.
“The topic of immigration has been one that we have been talking about, one that we have been intentionally bringing awareness to our students about over the last couple of years,” said Nazareth Academy Principal Therese Hawkins.
Nazareth, which espouses the Sisters of St. Joseph values of unity and love for the “dear neighbor,” has a diverse student population across racial and ethnic, economic and other categories, Hawkins said. About 30% of the school’s students are Hispanic.
“The issues of immigration, the issues of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] activity in the Chicagoland area and around the nation, have been very close to home,” Hawkins said. “We want to be a school community that learns to talk about hard topics together. There’s all kinds of different views on all kinds of topics, including immigration. It’s very important to a significant proportion of our student body.”
“The situation in our country has really touched our community a very personal way,” said Nereida McGrath, chair of the theology department. “They’ve been motivated to learn about these countries, and why we have immigrants in this country. … Some of them have had experiences with ICE. Some of them are living in fear of what is going to happen to their families, what is going to happen to them. It’s not just on TV anymore. It’s happening in their backyards, it’s happening in their neighborhoods.”
The project, in cooperation with high schools sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Cleveland and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, included presentations, prayer, artwork and a panel discussion with four Sisters of St. Joseph.
The plan grew out of discussions among teachers and administrators at schools sponsored by the community.
“The idea was to highlight countries from which a lot of immigrants come, learn about them, learn why people immigrated from those countries, what they are looking for here,” McGrath said. “We didn’t just want to do a walkout. We wanted it to be more educational, acknowledging what’s happening in our country.”
Each school developed a prayer and a slide presentation for two of the countries, based on the population of immigrants and refugees in their communities, McGrath said. Prayers and presentations were shared in theology classes at all levels, she said.
Nazareth students made the materials for El Salvador and Mexico; the other schools focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, the Philippines and Vietnam, said Kate McKeon, a theology teacher.
At Nazareth, students who participate in groups such as the Diversity Club and LatiNaz, a club for Latino students prepared materials.
Students who participate in the school’s Liturgy Planning Team, Roadrunner Club and Anti-Bullying Task Force also took part in planning the prayer service and panel discussion.
“They did a really beautiful job reflecting on the theme of ‘care for the dear neighbor without distinction’ in the prayer service,” said McKeon, who works with the Liturgy Planning Team. “They’ve done a really beautiful job of putting their feelings and beliefs into words. For our younger students who can’t vote yet, this is something they can do.”
Sister of St. Joseph Kathy Sherman participated in the panel and urged students to use their voices to advocate for the human dignity of all people.
To do that, she said, they must be willing to love everyone, including those who are different from them
“Be curious,” she said. “Be curious about people and cultures that are different from each other. For me, when I encounter someone or something different from myself, I ask myself the question, ‘What can I learn from you that will expand my mind and heart and make my circle of inclusion bigger. Jesus was always doing it, expanding this circle.”