We are All Immigrants

Catholic Sisters across Western Pennsylvania have been called to action by their faith to minister to immigrants and refugees, especially in our country’s current political climate. Driven by their vows to serve all of God’s people and their immense sense of mercy, Sisters from various congregations have joined the cause in various ways. Whether it be with their sleeves rolled up on the front lines or through the simple power of prayer, the Catholic Sisters of our region are meeting the moment with compassion and care.

SISTERS OF CHARITY OF NAZARETH

The Pittsburgh Sisters of Charity of Nazareth have and will continue to be of support as much as possible to any migrant/immigrant issue that is brought to our attention, as well an any other project that assists the poor and needy. However, the small number and current ages of SCNs residing in Pittsburgh limits our ability to assist migrants/immigrants as we did in the past. Presently, Vincentian Villa and Terrace Place, our VCS retirement communities, join us in supporting these worthy causes.

Believing that prayer and intercession is of great importance, we have designated every Wednesday as a day of prayer and adoration for the many issues of serious concern in our Church and our world today. Organizations that we have and continue to support through monetary, food or other collections include the CDP migrant program at Kettler House, North Hills Community Outreach (food and school supplies), St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Joseph House of Hospitality, Sisters Place, Jubilee Soup Kitchen, House of Bethany, and Casa San Jose. We also support many Church clothing drives.

We pledge our continued spirit-filled hopes and blessing on the issues and concerns facing our Diocese and our world,” says Sister Mary Ann Genovich, SCN.

SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH

Our province is a founding member and sustaining community of Bethany House of Hospitality, a ministry offering housing and support services to young immigrant women as they journey to independence. When unaccompanied minors come into the United States, they are placed in shelters until they can be united with their family here. If they have no family and turn 18, they can no longer remain in those shelters. They are on their own at that point. Bethany House takes in these young women and offers them the shelter and services (legal, educational, psychological, medical, etc.) to help them as they journey in their efforts to achieve asylum, become independent, and pursue their dream of living fruitful lives in this country. Some of our residents also come from border shelters as young, single mothers with small children.

“As a founding board member, I am privileged to assist in helping develop and support these programs,” says Sister Cathy Fedewa, CSFN. Sister also assists on the board of Viator House of Hospitality, which is a similar program serving young men. You can read more about her work here.

SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God, based in Pittsburgh’s Whitehall community, have addressed the issue of safeguarding the rights of immigrants and refugees and the current administration’s deportation efforts by contacting the White House and our senators and representatives in Washington, D.C. We also have donated to organizations assisting migrants — Casa San Jose, Jewish Family and Community Services here in Pittsburgh, and Catholic Charities in the border dioceses.

SISTERS, SERVANTS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have always been concerned with immigration matters because of our founding and the trials of our Oblate Sisters of Providence — our foundress came from Haiti and suffered many trials as well as racism. We have a Tri-IHM and Oblate house — Mary, Comfort of Migrants — with a sole purpose and ministry with and for the immigrants who pass through the border or are waiting in Mexico. “Since our beginning, we have worked with the Immigrants to the United States,” says Sister Mindy Welding, IHM.

Our Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation Director has called upon us to work with the people of Scranton, Pa., who are fearful in the current political climate. We continue to rally for those who seek shelter from the violence, drugs, gangs, corruption, and devastation of their people, land, government, and resources. “We work to seek justice for all, especially the most vulnerable, as Father Louis Florent Gillet, CSsR. taught us from the very beginning of our foundation in the Redemptorist tradition,” Sister Mindy adds.    

A Philadelphia-based IHM sister writes from McAllen, Texas : “As a Catholic, it becomes difficult to justify everything I see when my faith believes in the dignity of the human person, the importance and protection of family life, the right to live in a society that promotes the common good and the well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. One answer is to support the religious nonprofits that are providing the basic necessities to the migrants while they wait for a more just and humane policy. A second answer is to become a voice for the migrants, to advocate for changes in immigration policies that align more consistently with the best of who we are as Americans and with our beliefs as Catholics.”

SCHOOL SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS

As an international congregation with our Sisters in Europe — particularly in the Slovak and Czech Republics — have been assisting migrants and refugees from the war in Ukraine for the past two years. Our Sisters in southern Italy minister to people who have migrated from India. Here in the United States, we ministered in Texas since 1950 in San Antonio, and later, in San Angelo and the “colonias” near the southern border. In 2011, our Sisters developed a Franciscan Resource Center in San Angelo for spiritual growth and evangelization. Part of the Center was used by volunteers to provide services for immigrants from the southern border. One of the Sisters participated in a Border Experience program. Since moving to Pittsburgh in 2022, these same Sisters have developed a Franciscan Resource Center here. In 2024, they established a Pittsburgh Chapter of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which is engaged in advocacy for refugees and migrants throughout the world. In eastern Pennsylvania, one of our Sister serves as an ESL tutor. A Pittsburgh-area Sister who previously volunteered at Casa San Jose more recently began volunteering with a program for the pastoral needs of unaccompanied minors from the southern border. We continue to educate ourselves, as well, with many of our monthly Chapters of Renewal focused on immigration issues.

FELICIAN SISTERS OF NORTH AMERICA

The Felician Sisters have been very involved in advocacy events though the auspices of our Justice and Peace Coordinator, Sister Maryanne Agnes Mueller, our Justice & Peace coordinator. She is our representative to the Franciscan Action Network, the Alliance to End Human Trafficking, Pax Christi, Nuns Against Gun Violence and is very active in all these and other organizations.  She is the editor of the Stop Trafficking newsletter, which is published nationally via email through our Publications Office. She then also marshals the response of our Sisters to write to congressional and state leaders over the issue of migration and immigration reform, human trafficking, gun violence, the death penalty, and racism. 

One of our Sisters, Sister Maria Louise Edwards has been missioned to Tucson, Ariz., where she works with Aguilas del Desierto as vice president for Planning & Development. She also participates in desert searches to find missing migrants entering the country. This work is largely funded by the Felician Sisters of North America.

Sister Dong Hong Marie Zhang works with the new immigrants from China and also actively advocates for asylum. She recently was in Washington, D.C., to meet with legislators.

Other activities with which we have been actively engaged include:

• We have sponsored and provided housing and provisions for a family from Ukraine for the past three years.

• We are among 50 Catholic organizations and religious congregations nationwide to urge humane immigration solutions during budget negotiations.

• Our Response to Love Center in Buffalo, N.Y., provides language classes, food and clothing to mostly Arabic immigrants.

• Sister Maryann Agnes Muelle accompanies people to their ICE hearings and those seeking asylum to their credible fear hearings. She and Sister Anita Marie Louise Taddonio recently attended a meeting in Hartford, Conn., regarding accompaniment.

• Sister Thomas Lesniak teaches ESL in New Hampshire for individuals from several countries.

• A small convent of just three Sisters financially helped an undocumented family in their neighborhood. 

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

A commitment to caring for immigrants and all those displaced by poverty, violence, and natural disaster has been a foundational part of the Sisters of St. Joseph 150-year history. We have welcomed Cambodian refugees to our Motherhouse, served as missionaries in Brazil and Liberia, worked with migrant farmers, and, most recently, established Casa San José in 2013. The resource center is responding to the increasing needs of Latino immigrants making their home in the Pittsburgh region. In August 2019, Sisters Janice Vanderneck, Patti Rossi and Jeanette Bussen felt called to travel to the Southern Border Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, to serve our neighbors in need. They worked to triage the confusion, anxiety, and exhaustion of migrants who may have been separated from loved ones, not slept or eaten well in days, or even been able to shower or change into clean clothing. Read more.

SISTERS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE

The Sisters of Divine Providence (SDP) began ministering in August 2018 to refugee families who have applied for asylum. The families served — most of whom are from African and Central American countries — are provided with safe housing, food, clothing, health care, transportation and assistance with cultural integration.

Through a collaboration with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN), the SDP Sisters operate Charity House, a previously unoccupied house on the SCN campus, as a residence for refugee families. It is provided to rent-free and utility-free by the SCNs. Sister Hilary Hooks, CDP, works directly with families as program coordinator, while Sister Betty Sundry administers the program. Associates volunteer alongside the Sisters.

In addition, La Posada Providencia, a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence, provides safe, emergency shelter and resettlement assistance to legal asylum seekers. It is located in the Rio Grande valley in south Texas near the border.

SISTERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Sisters of the Holy Spirit maintain contact with and provide assistance as needed to two families of immigrants (now citizens) from Vietnam.

SISTERS OF MERCY OF THE AMERICAS

The Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh identify definitively with pro-immigrant efforts in concrete ways. They’ve affirmed the Mercy Institute policy of openness to immigrants — documented or not — by providing services in their healthcare institutions and schools. In addition to a political action work that includes protests, letter-writing, voting and other means, the Sisters are involved in border work in Texas, especially Brownsville, Laredo and El Paso, and in Anthony, N.M. Sister Beth Yost, a Pittsburgh Sister of Mercy, is principal of an elementary school in Laredo, Texas. Carlow University, founded and run by the Sisters of Mercy, assists Muslim women and hosts prayer space for them in the University Commons. Prayer about mistreatment of immigrants and asylum seekers at the U.S. border with Mexico is part of the Sisters’ daily lives.

This listing will be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect the current activities undertaken by Catholic sisters in our region. Check back often.