IHM Congregation Response to Immigration Ban

As Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, we are compelled by the Gospel and by our IHM legacy to declare our solidarity with those in need. 

As followers of our foundress, Theresa Maxis Duchemin, herself the daughter of a Haitian immigrant who fled persecution, and as women religious who have advocated for immigrants throughout our one hundred and seventy-two year history, we stand inside her vision of inclusion, welcome, and refuge. 

As persons committed to justice, we stand with those filled with holy outrage as we object to President Trump’s recent executive orders on both immigration and refugee resettlement, policies that stand in direct opposition to the Gospel values on which our IHM Core Values are based. 

As residents of these United States, we stand with the words of our own Lady Liberty, forever welcoming those who yearn to breathe free. 

As people of faith, we stand in a place of contemplative prayer and deep listening to the Spirit among us, following the Gospel call of outreach to all, especially the most vulnerable among our sisters and brothers.

As members of both the human family and the global community, we stand firm in our commitment to unceasing advocacy for the sake of immigrants and refugees, and to embodying a presence of welcome and compassion for all people in our beautiful, yet wounded world.

Sister Ellen Maroney, IHM, President, and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA