V Encuentro: How to reach fallen-away Latino Catholics

The fifth version of a project started by the U.S. bishops in 1972 goes to the peripheries of the church to welcome back Hispanics.

“Now is the time to pass legislation that enables the Dreamers to become citizens and full contributing members of our society,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are urging Catholics to call Congress and demand they act on behalf of “Dreamers.”

More than 800,000 Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors, could lose their legal status on March 5.

Some of the poorest parts of the island remain cut off from the transportation and energy infrastructure.

“Families aren’t chains. They are mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, grandmothers, grandfathers and brothers and sisters.”

“It’s not just, ‘I’ll pray for you.’ We need to do something personally for them.”

“Separating fathers from families has been going on for a while. But now, even mothers are being separated from their children.”

“Our country is so important to us. We carry the Dominican Republic in our hearts.”