Solidarity Ministry
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“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”
- Matthew 25: 35-43“Every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ, who identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age.”
- Pope Francis, January 14, 2018The Solidarity Ministry at St. Ignatius Parish raises awareness of the issues faced by immigrants and refugees. We explore how society can better respond to these issues, and we provide support to immigrants and refugees needing assistance. We do this through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching and the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus. The Solidarity Ministry:
Accompanies individuals and families as they work through the process of becoming documented residents and supports families seeking asylum and refuge;
Advocates a Gospel-centered approach to aiding people who find themselves immigrants or refugees;
Educates ourselves about the issues that drive immigration and the impacts of these issues;
Establishes relationships with other congregations to further these efforts.
In 2017, St. Ignatius Parish and St. Agnes Parish worked together to create this Joint Statement on Sanctuary. In his pastoral letter on January 13, 2025, Fr. Greg provided context for that action and reaffirmed our Statement on Sanctuary. More background on St. Ignatius Parish’s views on sanctuary can be found here:
- Fr. Greg's Pastoral Letter - November 26, 2017
- Fr. John Coleman's Homily on the Feast of Christ the King - November 26, 2017
To sign up to receive updates and get involved in the Solidarity Ministry at St. Ignatius Parish, send an email to [email protected].
Resources for Immigrants
San Francisco Immigrant Support Rapid Response Hotline: 415-200-1548. This hotline is to report ICE actions happening in San Francisco today.
Help for an immigrant detained by immigration enforcement today in San Francisco / Ayuda para un inmigrante detenido por ICE hoy día en San Francisco / 幫助當天在三藩市被移民及海關執法局（ICE）拘留的移民 / Tulong para sa mga imigranteng hinuli ng ICE sa San Francisco ngayong araw
Rapid Response Hotlines for other Bay Area Counties
San Francisco Immigrant Support provides links to a variety of resources providing legal help to immigrants, broken down by issue. Information available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino.
City and County of San Francisco – Immigrant Services and Resources: The San Francisco Immigrant Forum helps immigrants, asylees, refugees, and service providers connect to resources, opportunities, and events. Information available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino.
San Francisco Unified School District – Immigration Policy and Resources: Learn more about student rights, legal consults, and resources. Information provided in 11 languages.
Catholic Charities – Center for Immigration Legal and Support Services: Our key mission is to assist clients in achieving legal status and economic self-sufficiency, as well as becoming fully active participants in the social and civic life of our communities. We serve our clients through a variety of services both before the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) and the immigration court.
East Bay Sanctuary Covenant: EBSC provides legal services, community organizing, and transformative education to support low-income immigrants and people fleeing violence and persecution.
Catholic Legal Information Network, Inc. (CLINIC) trains legal representatives who provide high-quality and affordable immigration legal services. We develop and sustain a network of nonprofit programs that serve over 500,000 immigrants every year.
Al Otro Lado provides holistic legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the US and Tijuana through a multidisciplinary, client-centered, harm reduction-based practice. Information available in English, Spanish, Creole, French, and Russian.
The Immigrant Defense Project provides “Know Your Rights” and other legal information and resources to immigrants. Essential information is also provided in Spanish.
Archdiocese of San Francisco: The Office of Human Life & Dignity has gathered resources to support our immigrant communities.
Resources for Parishioners: Accompaniment and Advocacy
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity is a statewide California organization that connects clergy and people of faith to the work of social justice in Los Angeles County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Inland Valleys. We work to make the criminal justice system more just and to make the immigration system more fair and humane.
Faith in Action Bay Area is a network of faith communities committed to ensuring that the dignity of all members of our community is upheld. Through leadership development, civic engagement, and lifting up of our faith values, we strive to make sure that every person receives the respect, justice, and opportunity they deserve.
Ignatian Solidarity Network The mission of the ISN is to network, educate, and form advocates for social justice animated by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the witness of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador and their companions.
Jesuit Refugee Service The mission of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. Founded by Jesuit Fr. Pedro Arrupe in 1980, in direct response to the humanitarian crisis of the Vietnamese boat people, JRS today works in 47 countries worldwide to meet the educational, health, and social needs of more than 750,000 refugees.
Las Vecinas de El Salvador Ministry This is a joint ministry of St. Ignatius Parish and our sister parish, Parroquia San Antonio, located in Soyapango, El Salvador.
Kino Border Initiative is a ministry of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Nogales, Mexico, that promotes humane, just, and workable migration through humanitarian assistance, education, and advocacy
Statements on Migrants and Refugees
- Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States of America – 2/10/2025
- California Catholic Bishops: Letter on Immigration – 12/12/2024
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops – Statement of Pastoral Concern – 11/14/2024
- Statement of the Jesuit Migration Network of Central America-North America – 10/3/2024
- Message of his Holiness Pope Francis for the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees – 9/29/24
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