Saturday, February 28, 2026: Reflection by Bishop Felipe Pulido Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of San Diego | CLINIC Board Member  

Today, our nation finds itself in the midst of a profound immigration crisis. Much of the conversation unfolds in political debates, family gatherings, and on social media, yet too often the human face of the suffering Christ is lost.

Jesus continues to suffer in the lives of our immigrant brothers and sisters — women, men, and children who carry fear, hope, and deep faith as they seek safety and dignity. Catholic social teaching calls us to respond with hearts shaped by the Gospel: to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants, honoring their God-given dignity, while also recognizing the responsibility of nations to secure their borders in ways that respect human rights. 

The Church, through her many ministries, walks alongside immigrants with compassion — offering shelter, legal assistance, medical care, pastoral support, and advocacy. Still, many may ask, “What can I do?” This Lent, I invite you to begin with prayer — prayer that opens our eyes, softens our hearts, and draws us closer to Christ present in the suffering of others. 

During this Lenten season, we invite you to pray with the Stations of the Cross as a guide for reflection, using them as a sacred pathway to meditate on the lived experiences of immigrants navigating the complexities and pain of the immigration system. 

The Stations allow us to walk with Jesus on his journey to Calvary, to enter into his suffering, to unite it with our own, and to hold fast to the promise of resurrection. The suffering of Christ is echoed today in the lives of immigrants who undertake dangerous journeys, endure separation from loved ones, and face an overburdened and often harsh legal system as they seek lawful status and a chance to rebuild their lives. This resource focuses especially on the experiences of immigrants after their arrival in the United States, where the cross often continues to weigh heavily. 

As you prayerfully accompany Jesus on the way of the cross, we invite you to also accompany immigrant families whose lives reflect the sorrow of Christ — and whose hope rests in the power of his resurrection. May this prayer deepen our compassion, strengthen our faith, and inspire us to be witnesses of mercy, justice, and hope. 

Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Death:

My client, Sonia, is a Honduran woman who fled her country after suffering severe gender-based violence and persecution. She found safety in the United States, settling and trying to build a new life in the DC area, but in summer 2025 was caught in a raid and detained. She has been in detention for over three months, isolated and terrified, as she fears certain death if she is returned home to her abusers. She’s receiving legal help and is applying for asylum, but the outcome is uncertain. It is so difficult to watch her suffer in detention. She needs many prayers for the strength to remain in such horrific conditions and keep fighting her case to preserve her life.

- CLINIC staff member

PRAYER: Lord, you were condemned to death by the powers of your day, though you were innocent and gentle. Help us to remember immigrants in our communities who fear certain death as they face deportation. We pray that they might know yor loving presence with them always a nd hat they might find hope and a path forward.