Lawmakers voted late Jan. 3 to keep Jesuit Father Patrick J. Conroy, the 60th chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, in the post for the next two years.

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted shortly before the shutdown began finds that both Republicans and Democrats are far more likely to include immigration in their list of top issues facing the country this year compared with a year ago.

Catholics make up majorities of congressional delegations from six states—Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont—and half of the delegations from Iowa, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

Pope Francis' repeated invitations to practice mercy and charity have become the focus of efforts to defuse the widespread polarization that has wracked society and has crossed into Catholic circles.

The year may be coming to an end but the battles on the immigration front promise to continue well into 2019 and beyond.

Many worried, however, that just like the government shutdown, periodic acts aimed against migrants would continue, and they urged politicians to put their differences aside to find lasting solutions to stem the flow and the danger posed to human beings who face the consequences of policy.