Sister Joan Pearson was among three local women religious who recently traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist in the immigration crisis. Here, migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. walk into a temporary humanitarian respite center run by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, Texas, April 8 CNS | Go Nakamura, ReutersCHARLOTTE — Three women religious from the Charlotte area traveled to Texas in April and May to help care for asylum seekers coming through the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sisters of Mercy Peggy Verstege and Carmelita Hagan, and Sister of St. Joseph Joan Pearson joined other women religious in responding to a nationwide call from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious to help at the border, which has witnessed a surge of tens of thousands of asylum seekers over the past several months.
In March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families asked Catholic Charities USA to take the lead on providing care and accompaniment of thousands of unaccompanied children at the U.S.-Mexico border. They sought 7,000 or more volunteers to provide “a listening presence, compassion and support” for the men, women and children desperately in need of help. The LCWR, the largest group representing women religious in the U.S., was among the Catholic groups contacted by Catholic Charities USA.
The humanitarian crisis on the southern border has seen thousands of immigrants, especially minors, their parents and unaccompanied children, traveling from Central America and Mexico to seek asylum. They walk hundreds of miles, riding on buses, trucks or trains, eating and drinking anything they can get on their journey.
Hungry, dirty and with nothing in their pockets but hope, immigrants are being allowed to arrive at the border, pass a COVID-19 test, and begin the process of completing paperwork for their asylum request. In the meantime, border control officers are making contact with their American sponsor to get clearance to enter the U.S. A person or family must have a sponsor to get clearance to enter the U.S., then they are bused to one of the established sites in the U.S.
While people await processing at the border, Catholic sisters have been there to pitch in.
Sisters Peggy and Carmelita traveled to Laredo, Texas, on April 20, and ministered at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Laredo site, located about a mile from the border.
Sister Joan was sent May 1 to a “respite center” run by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, Texas.
“What we found was a little overwhelming to say the least,” said Sister Carmelita, so “we rolled up our sleeves and got busy.”
Added Sister Joan, “The people were in great need. The situation was heartbreaking.”
Side by side with other volunteers and fellow women religious, Sisters Peggy and Carmelita worked tirelessly to welcome the arriving buses and distribute water, clean clothes, towels and hygiene products for a shower.
On a typical day, they cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for the men, women and children, often having to shop for food to serve them. Between meals they did laundry, prepared travel packages with diapers, wipes, baby formula, water, juice and food for those riding the bus or traveling by car, and spent hours organizing the clothing room and fitting people with clean clothes.
Because Sister Joan speaks Spanish, she was assigned to the pharmacy area, where she measured and distributed baby formula, diapers, baby wipes, extra toothbrushes, combs, and over-the-counter medications.
“Almost everyone came in with colds, coughs, runny noses or fever. Each time I portioned out a cough syrup or Tylenol or whatever, I asked about allergies (and) complications, and explained about the dosage size and frequency. And they were so patient, waiting their turn and so grateful.”
But something else caught Sister Joan’s attention. “The first thing that struck me was the lack of luggage or bags or backpacks with them. They were desperately clinging to their children. They had nothing else. I discovered why....Throughout their very dangerous journey to the United States, they had lost everything. Some had been robbed. Others were forced to sell or trade their clothes, (religious) medals and jewelry of any kind to get to the next stop on the journey.”
In both Texas centers, many of the incoming asylees were able to sleep in a bed, but many more had to sleep on cots in the hallways. Due to lack of space, cots sometimes had to be placed outside under tents. Everyone was given the opportunity to take a shower and get refreshed.
Sister Carmelita said the entire experience reminded her of when Joseph was forced to take Mary and the baby Jesus and flee to Egypt to escape the tyrant Herod.
“They had to be confused and afraid of what was before them. Today the asylum seekers from Central America are doing the same thing to escape the tyrants from their countries. They come full of fear, with mixed emotions and a great deal of trust and hope for a better life. They leave their homeland because they seek peace and a life free of fear.”
Serving the asylum seekers wasn’t about solving the immigration problem, it was simply “an opportunity to act on behalf of the community and in the name of Mercy,” she noted.
For Sister Joan, the trip to McAllen was a profound experience, “and I am not sure I have fully integrated all the graces and challenges God presented to me at the border, with my ministry here in our Diocese of Charlotte.”
“For me, serving in the shelter opened more than my eyes. This time in McAllen opened my heart! One of my frequent prayers has become: ‘Oh dear God, thank you for all the blessings You (and others) have given me. And forgive me if I am ever ungrateful.’”
— César Hurtado, Hispanic reporter