Seminarian John Washington from the Archdiocese of Atlanta spent his summer tending to Washington state's bountiful apple trees, speaking "field Spanish" with Latino migrant workers, learning about life in the migrant camps and bringing the Gospel to the agricultural laborers.

Our advocacy was based on the intrinsic dignity and inalienable value of all human beings and their equal and essential rights as members of the human family.

It should go without saying that there is little justification for such a callous and indifferent response to refugees at the exact moment that the United States enjoys its strongest economy in a generation.

Posada Guadalupe can host as many as 20 young men at a time. They work on their G.E.D.s and learn English while they wait for their asylum applications to be processed.

"It’s something wonderful to experience this recognition, but at the same time it’s a reminder that there’s a lot of human suffering," Sr. Pimentel said about her recent award.

“Refugee protection has been politicized...and refugees have been denigrated in our public debate.”