Saint Anne helps the Migrant Ministry of the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park

As we have reported, the Saint Anne Migrant Ministry has been guided by the four parishes in Oak Park: St. Catherine-St. Lucy, St. Giles, Ascension, and St. Edmund, and by their ecumenical and interfaith partners. Their experiences and organizational structure have served as a model for our Saint Anne accompaniment work with those seeking asylum. HOPE connects these two ministries. The Oak Park leadership team puts it this way: “In the midst of the current political environment, every interaction is grounded in HOPE. This HOPE is nourished by the personal encounters and relationships developed in the course of the ministry. Every smile, every ‘Bienvenido!’ greeting, every assistance provided, emits a mutual feeling of HOPE shared by the volunteers and the migrants.” We walk this path together, responding to the Gospel call to welcome the stranger.In that mission-driven spirit, we have been able to provide from the surplus of items collected at Saint Anne a number of personal hygiene and household items for migrants who visit the St. Edmund Center, a former parish school that now serves as a welcome and resource center. Saint Anne is also assisting with rent for a family with a one-year-old child as they transition from a shelter to an apartment. Yet another Catholic parish, St. Rita of Cascia, will then take over and mentor this family in the months ahead.