Support for Annunciation House
The Sisters of Saint Joseph are voicing support for a large migrant shelter that is at risk of being shut down by state officials. Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, provides food, shelter, clothing and other resources to migrants from Central America who are seeking asylum in the United States. In early February, the Texas State Attorney General declared intent to end the organization’s critical mission. Over the years, several SSJs and close friends of the Congregation have volunteered at Annunciation House. In response to the recent news, the Sisters have released the following Public Statement in support of the shelter:
In full harmony with the Gospel proclamation “that all may be one” and our charism to unite neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God, The Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester, NY, strongly express our solidarity with and support for Annunciation House following the recently declared intent of the Texas Attorney General to end the organization’s critical mission.
For more than 45 years, Annunciation House has offered hospitality to thousands of migrants in El Paso, Texas, filling a vital role in compensating for the complex and broken U.S. immigration system. Acts of compassion and respect for human life are a strength, not a weakness to be eliminated. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester support suspension of the current emphasis on punitive action against migrants.
Sisters of St. Joseph have served as volunteers at some of the shelters operated by Annunciation House, where they have seen first-hand the living out of the corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and sheltering the homeless. We believe that the mission of Annunciation House exemplifies our Christian commitment to welcome the stranger and love one another.
We are moved by the words of El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, “Let me be clear. For the church’s part, we will endeavor to work with all in pursuit of the common good of our city and nation. We will vigorously defend the freedom of people of faith and goodwill to put deeply held religious convictions into practice. We will not be intimidated in our work to serve Jesus Christ in our sisters and brothers fleeing danger and seeking to keep their families together. We will stand in solidarity with our community’s aid workers and volunteers, with our community non-profits assisting migrants, as well as with all those in the borderlands and throughout our state living under the weight of inhumane immigration policies.
As one El Paso community, this is our promise today. We will not surrender the identity of our borderlands, a place which chooses compassion over indifference, human fraternity over division, and radical hope and evangelical love over hatred and exclusion.”
