Migration with Dignity Pilgrimage: Presente
Immigration + Refugee Ministries participated in the Episcopal Migration Caucus’s first-ever Migration with Dignity Pilgrimage held Sunday, June 1 to Thursday, June 5. Beginning in Albuquerque, NM, and ending in San Antonio, TX, the driving pilgrimage aimed to uplift the humanity and dignity of all migrants and immigration enforcement staff. Each day, the pilgrims held prayer vigils at immigrant detention centers, participated in group prayer and reflection, and engaged in conversations with local ministries, immigration enforcement, and residents.
How did you see God at work this week?
Melanie: I witnessed God at work in a profound way. I watched how God used the journey, prayer, experiences, or testimonies to deepen compassion into conviction. I watched as long held assumptions began to shift and where there was hesitation, a new seed of understanding began to take root. I saw God take hearts that were hardened, weary, or jaded and spark something new. In others, I saw a fire fueled by love and dutiful obedience to Him by honoring His call to welcome the stranger and love their neighbor. At every step, God’s presence was felt in the way he guided us, molded our hearts, and opened our eyes.
What was the best part of the week? The hardest part of the week?
Flor: It’s conflicting to reflect on the best and worst parts of the week because the moments were all so inextricably intertwined. The prayer vigils we held were the best, most powerful, and moving events of the trip, but also the hardest. At each prayer vigil, we gathered with new friends and listened to stories of loss, trauma, and pain. It was heartbreaking and frustrating to learn what people experienced and continue to experience in those spaces. But being present, praying, and standing with our fellow pilgrims in solidarity helped inspire hope for change and reminded us that we are not alone.
What feedback have you received from those who participated in the vigils?
Melanie: Attendees were grateful to honor the lives of those impacted by the immigration system and left with a deeper awareness of the struggles migrants face in detention. Immigration can often feel far removed from us but is unfolding in our own backyards. Parents were especially affected by hearing the experiences of detained children, many of which shared the same ages, birthdays, names, or resemblance to participants’ own children.
Do you have plans to build on this trip in the future?
Flor: Absolutely. We will continue to collaborate with the Episcopal Migration Caucus as they plan additional pilgrimages and create resources for congregations to host their own prayer vigils in the future. On a diocesan level, we will revisit earlier plans to host pilgrimages across our region. There are five major ports of entry and numerous detention and processing centers throughout our diocese, all with local ministries and stories to share that we hope to uplift. Stay tuned.
Reflection from Flor Saldivar, Director of Immigration and Refugee Ministries
Being present, praying, and standing with our fellow pilgrims in solidarity helped inspire hope for change and reminded us that we are not alone.
As I looked across the Rio Grande, a heavy weight crushed me as I processed the view. On the Mexican side, colorful murals covered the cement, bearing phrases like ‘Somos Hijos de la Tierra, ’We are children of the Earth.’ On the U.S. side, the cement was bare, protected by a chain-linked fence and barbed wire. I recalled childhood memories of crossing into Mexico and thought, ‘What happened? It was never like this.’ And as we continued into Juarez, the weight grew heavier as I mourned what used to be and worried about the growing division among our people.
Later, we gathered at a processing center for a vigil. While we prayed, officers with weapons carried out their duties behind us. I thought of those held there who are just like us. Fellow children of God, deserving of dignity and respect. It was distressing. But as we prayed and sang together, the distress was replaced by hope. I thought of Psalm 9:9: “The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” I remembered the thousands of people I met at Plaza who never wavered in their faith. Who arrived thanking God for protecting and guiding them on their journey. And who trusted in Him even in the darkest times.
I will never forget this experience. It troubled me deeply but renewed my faith and empowered me to continue sharing and teaching God’s love for His creation, striving for justice and peace among all people.
Reflection from Melanie Jakubisin, Immigration and Refugee Ministries Coordinator
A recurrently powerful moment for me came during each vigil where I felt the deep sense of responsibility that came with being a voice for those who no longer have one.
It's been a month since the Migration with Dignity pilgrimage, and I still find a knot in my throat appears every time I’ve tried to write this reflection.
That knot appeared throughout the pilgrimage no matter how hard I tried to shove it down, squash it, hide it, ignore it, pray it away or divert my focus. Nothing worked. I was ashamed of what I thought others might see as a weakness, unprofessional, or uncontrolled.
For days, I hid the flow of tears with a quick turn of my head, sunglasses, objects, or a smile. And then, in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s during the vigil I saw the faces of those that have so fiercely supported this call to welcome the stranger, and the knot finally won.
Around me were fellow pilgrims who are advocates for human dignity from across the country, my friends from the diocesan staff who have helped immigration ministries behind the scenes, former Plaza de Paz volunteers who always answered the “bat-signal” call to serve in any capacity, our clergy friends that have prayed and cried with us, and friends from other churches who boldly carry this work into their own congregations and communities. That moment provided much needed clarity but was also my tipping point.
Seeing all of them in one room, I saw that I was not alone in the pain I felt but instead had it mirrored back to me in their tear soaked faces as they heard the testimonies of pilgrims, read about the deaths of the children whose photos we held, sang We Shall Overcome, listened to the names of those children read aloud, and prayed for peace and justice.
That night reminded me that in a broken world of desensitization, compassion and empathy are not something to be squashed or hidden. So now comes the time to stop resisting the knot and instead embrace it as a powerful reminder to always walk in love.
