Miami, Fla., Jan 18, 2020 / 06:01 am
The Archbishop of Miami has emphasized the importance of welcoming refugees, and decried the decision of Texas Governor Greg Abbott not to participate in the federal refugee resettlement program.
"Often mentored by church volunteers and given resettlement support, refugees and their family quickly integrate into American society, finding work and making a positive contribution to their adopted country," said Archbishop Thomas Wenski in a Jan. 16 letter to the editor of the Miami Herald.
"Resettlement agencies are preparing to submit proposals to the Office of Refugee Resettlement on Jan. 21 to continue this ministry of 'welcoming the stranger.' Catholic Charities look forward to local governments continuing welcoming refugees in those communities where we already serve."
The archbishop noted that Catholic Charities in Florida sponsored unaccompanied Cuban minors in the 1960s, resettled refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in the 1970s, and has participated in the US Refugee Program since it began in 1980.