Rector’s Note: Responding to the Cry of our Neighbors-6.12.25

“Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP p. 823).”

The Episcopal Bishops of California have asked us to pray the above prayer in light of the military response to the Los Angeles protests against ICE raids.

The request comes at the end of a statement by the California bishops in response to the denial of due process for people without documents and the escalation of fear that raids, detentions and extraditions are causing in immigrant communities throughout California. Their letter, as well as a recent statement from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, provide a helpful framework as we consider how to respond to threats to people in our own county and region.

And it comes as church communities all over the country are witnessing the effects of punitive executive orders upon their congregations and the wider neighborhoods where they are located. In Los Angeles, fourteen people in one single Episcopal congregation were detained by ICE on Friday. Internationally, the president’s travel ban impacts countries that are home to dioceses of The Episcopal Church as well as in the wider Anglican Communion.

And closer to home, at least 25 residents of Norristown, where our own Diocesan center is located, have been detained by ICE since the end of May, according to the Norristown-based advocacy group, Unides Para Servir.

"In the Episcopal Church, we uphold a proud tradition of advocating for civil rights and supporting the vulnerable in our society,” the California bishops wrote. “We stand for fierce love and for justice that leads to peace as well as societal practices that preserve human dignity. With God’s help, we will speak and pray on behalf of all in this situation.”

Presiding Bishop Rowe describes the church’s response as “institutional resistance rooted not in partisan allegiance, but in Christian conviction.”

“On a national level, the church is exploring options to support litigation challenging the travel ban on the ground of religious freedom; advocating for federal spending that safeguards the welfare of the most vulnerable; caring for immigrants and refugees in our congregations and communities; and standing in solidarity with other faith groups.”

Click on the links in his statement. You’ll find a vast network of responses that the Episcopal Church is engaged in on a national level, which we can support.

Locally, St Peter’s is supporting the Diocese’s Matthew 25 efforts to assist those who are under threat at this time. We are setting aside food from our Food Cupboard to be distributed to people affected, and are sending financial support as well. Those who want to support these efforts can mark Matthew 25 on food donations to be set aside in the Food Cupboard. Checks for financial support can be sent directly to the diocese, made out to the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, with Immigration GMC in the memo.

Those interested in offering housing or professional support can contact the Rev. Canon Toneh Smyth at tsmyth@diopa.org.

These responses reflect the leadership provided by our Vestry’s April 2025 statement “Our Commitment to Protect the Vulnerable.”

Our citizenship also has a faithful component, especially as we weigh the impact that executive orders and policing have on our vulnerable neighbors.

Many Montgomery County residents have been calling upon commissioners to formally pass a Welcoming Act, which would offer more protections for immigrants and other vulnerable people. While the county has some supports in place, such as hiring a new director of immigrant affairs in February, other policies make it easier for ICE to round people up.

On Pentecost, we prayed for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, asking for wisdom and grace to respond to the difficult moment we are in with the love of Christ. Listening to our spiritual leaders and looking to the safety of our neighbors are important ways to discern how the Holy Spirit is prompting us to respond in these troubling times.

Good Afternoon! – From Toneh

During various clergy calls and emails you may recall, in order to support individuals and families (many being served in our diocese) who are immigrants or refugees, we have created Matthew 25. Churches can create a section of their food pantry for immigration/refugee support, people can offer professional services (legal, case worker, ASL, et) or people can offer temporary housing.

In lieu of promoting via our usual newsletter, churches serving immigrant/refugee families or those willing to help should contact the office (specifically myself) so I can create a spreadsheet.

Currently, we are in search of churches willing to offer temporary housing to families/individuals. I have one family now (parents and their one college student). They are working on their working visa and re-establishing an education visa for the son. In the meantime, they need housing.

Please let me know if you are able to help, and I will connect you. Thank you in advance!

A Letter from the Episcopal Bishops in the State of California

Our Baptismal Covenant asks us, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being (BCP p. 417)?” This question is a direct and ongoing call to us as persons who follow Christ to live out our calling opposed to injustice, to violence of any kind, and to stand up where human beings are not treated as we would treat a child of God. This question needs to be foremost in our thoughts as we consider our response to the situation in Los Angeles.

In the Episcopal Church, we uphold a proud tradition of advocating for civil rights and supporting the vulnerable in our society. We stand for fierce love and for justice that leads to peace as well as societal practices that preserve human dignity. With God’s help, we will speak and pray on behalf of all in this situation.

Bishop Taylor has asked for our prayers for Los Angeles, and we invite all our dioceses to pray for the unfolding situation there as well as for peace and justice in all our communities. We ask that you join us in praying:

“Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP p. 823).”

Comments from the Presiding Bishop

With all of this in mind, we are finding ways to respond as Christians to what we see happening around us. We are exploring options to support litigation challenging the travel ban on the ground of religious freedom; advocating for federal spending that safeguards the welfare of the most vulnerable; caring for immigrants and refugees in our congregations and communities; and standing in solidarity with other faith groups. In short, we are practicing institutional resistance rooted not in partisan allegiance, but in Christian conviction.

At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm. Churches like ours, protected by the First Amendment and practiced in galvanizing people of goodwill, may be some of the last institutions capable of resisting the injustice now being promulgated. That is not a role we sought—but it is one we are called to.

Source — WHYY — https://whyy.org/articles/norristown-montgomery-county-ice-immigrants-fearful/

What is happening near to us — In Montgomery County, more than 30% of the municipality’s population is Latino, and 17.7% of its residents are foreign-born, according to Census data reported by WHYY. Our neighbors in Norristown, which has a large Hispanic population, have been hit particularly hard by ICE raids and threats.

At least 17 people from Norristown have been detained by ICE in the past two weeks, Denisse Agurto, executive director of Unides Para Servir, an immigrant-serving organization in Norristown, said in a WHYY report.

County policies and practices that support immigrants have already landed the county on a national list of sanctuary jurisdictions, published by the Department of Homeland Security.