1. Discernment, Capacity Building and Parish Mobilization
June 17-18, 2018
Jesuit Parish Gathering for Justice
Tim Severyn, LSW

2. A Cyclical Model Encouraging Action
Discernment
Capacity Building
Mobilization

3. Who We Are?
Bellarmine Chapel is a Jesuit Parish on the Campus of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio Demographics: 750 households; predominantly white and middle class; progressive for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Working in Partnership with:

4. Actions Taken
Parish Immigration Team operating since September 2016 – 20 members – three sub-committees: Education, Relationship-Building, and Advocacy
Education
Kickoff Event: Befriending the Stranger – Immigrant Stories – 200 in attendance
Lecture from Fr. Dan Groody, Notre Dame
6 JustMatters: Crossing Borders/Exploring Migration 8-Week Prayer/Study Groups – 50 parts.
2-Day Share the Journey Parish Retreat – 100 participants
4-Day Immersion Trip to the Kino Border Initiative
Relationship-Building
Hosting a Family of Four from El Salvador in partnership with KBI – engaging 50 volunteers
4 Share the Journey Potluck Meals with Immigrants
Helping Start Casa de Paz/House of Peace and an Immigrant Catering Company
Advocacy
Raised over $100,000 for an Immigrant Assistance Fund
Convening Ohio ISN Conference Calls on Immigration Issues
Collecting over 5,000 letters for the Dream Act Statewide
Participating in the Sanctuary Congregations Coalition and Immigrant Dignity Coalition Locally

5. Best Practices: What We Have Learned?
Discernment
Best Practices: What We Have Learned?
Keep Faith at the Center of the Effort, Not Politics
Start with Stories, Relationships and Encounter that Change the Narrative
Create a Concrete Ask to Build Efforts Around (I.e., Hosting a Family)

6. Best Practices: What We Have Learned?
Capacity Building
Best Practices: What We Have Learned?
Learn Community Organizing and Practice It With Your Team
Snowflake Model for Leadership Opportunities
Practice One-to-One Relationship Building
Go to the Upper Room with JustFaith and Similar Programs

7. Best Practices: What We Have Learned?
Mobilization
Best Practices: What We Have Learned?
Building a Base to Call upon Leads to Long-Term Commitments
Opportunities Need to Be Specific and Doable
Small Victories Build Power

8. Challenges on the Journey
Language – Identify Spanish-Language Speakers as Part of the Discernment Process
Volunteers Have Diffused Priorities and Limited Availability – Be Clear on Commitments and Calendars
Empowerment – Teach An Empowerment Orientation, Not a Charity Orientation – Difficult to Get Past a Helper Mentality
Build Don’t React – There is a Temptation in This Political Environment to be Reactive Rather than Building for the Long Haul – But We Are Working Towards the Reign of God

9. Hope for the Future
“Every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ, who identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age (Matthew 25:35-43). The Lord entrusts to the Church’s motherly love every person forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future.” ~Pope Francis, January 14, 2018, Message for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees Our Efforts at Bellarmine Can Be Duplicated Across Jesuit Parishes We Can All Share the Journey!

10. Contact Tim Severyn severynte@xavier.edu
Questions?
Contact Tim Severyn
More on Our Immigration Work Available Here: