“Take care of all without exception, for everyone is our neighbor.”
This quote from our foundress, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, has guided the Felician Sisters for almost 175 years. It has served as the moral compass that led sisters from Poland over 150 years ago to travel to Polonia, Wisconsin, to care for Polish immigrants.
Angela’s attitude of seeing each human being as our neighbor, which the Felician Sisters today continue to emulate today, was rooted in the Gospel. Jesus connects welcoming the stranger to welcoming him, as in the story of the Good Samaritan and in Matthew 25, the scene of the Last Judgment. Today, the Felician Sisters in North America bring this vision to life through our Corporate Stand to Reverence the Other, reaching out to all those whom God places in our lives with mercy and peace.
Over the years, people have come to the United States seeking better economic opportunities, religious freedom or safety from war, famine and persecution. Some ancestors arrived as enslaved people or indentured servants.
As we commemorate World Refugee Day on June 20, let us remember the inherent dignity of every person made in God’s image and likeness, and pray for the thousands of people around the world who are displaced by crises.
Reflection
- How did your ancestors come to the United States? When and why did they come?
- Our ancestors brought diverse languages, traditions and faiths that continue to shape American culture. Think of three different food items you enjoy brought to our country from another tradition or culture.
- Visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign.
- Take Action: call on Congress to ensure immigration enforcement respects human dignity and religious freedom for all.
- Watch the 2024 movie “Cabrini,” based on the life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who aided Italian immigrants in the United States, especially in New York.
- Include prayers for immigrants and refugees in your daily prayer life.
