Events

9:00 – 9:45AM
WELCOME AND OPENING PRAYER

9:45 – 10:00AM
BREAK

10:00 – 11:00AM
PLENARY PANEL I:  BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF BELONGING: IDENTIFYING AND ENGAGING THE PRESSING CHALLENGES OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 

A diverse panel of immigrants and refugees will present their perspectives on the major challenges facing immigrants, refugees and their families, both in the broader society and in their faith communities, including new challenges related to COVID-19 and related policies.

11:00  – 11:30AM
BREAK

11:30AM – 1:00PM
PLENARY PANEL II:  HOW TO BUILD A MORE PROPHETIC, FAITHFUL, AND HOPEFUL CHURCH IN A TIME OF MULTIPLE CRISES  

Migrants, refugees, their families, and communities face multiple crises – historically high levels of forcible displacement, the inequalities and injustices exacerbated by the pandemic, the loss of life and opportunity, and exclusionary attitudes and policies. This panel will speak to these conditions and challenges and will offer ideas and insights on how the Church can respond to the gifts and needs of migrants in a more prophetic, faithful, and hopeful way. It is hoped that this panel will lead to formal and informal gatherings throughout the conference on how the Church can concretely respond to current challenges and opportunities.

1:00 – 1:30PM
BREAK

1:30 – 2:45 PM
PLENARY PANEL III: FROM EMIGRATION TO IMMIGRATION COUNTRY: IRELAND’s ATTEMPT TO BUILD COMMUNITIES OF BELONGING

2:45 – 3:30PM
BREAK

3:30 – 4:45PM
PLENARY PANEL IV: HOW SHOULD CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS BE ADAPTING THEIR WORK WITH REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS IN LIGHT OF CURRENT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES? HOW SHOULD THEY ASSESS THEIR SUCCESS ON IMMIGRANT PROTECTION, EMPOWERMENT AND INTEGRATION? 

This panel will discuss ways that Catholic parishes, hospitals, refugee and legal services programs, charities, and other institutions and ministries can rise to the immense challenges now facing immigrants, refugees, their families and communities. How can Catholic institutions adapt their work on immigrant protection, empowerment and integration, and assess its success in light of current challenges and opportunities?  What new partnerships, programs and ministries will be needed? 

5:00 – 6:00PM
COFFEE CHAT ROOMS

Tune into these sessions to participate in open discussions about specific issues, challenges, strategies and resources. 

6:00 – 7:00PM
PLENARY PANEL V: OVERCOMING POLITICAL OBSTACLES TO BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF BELONGING

At a time of harsh and restrictionist federal policies, many states and localities have opted to treat immigrants and their families as full members of their communities, extending to them a range of services, programs and benefits.  This panel will feature political leaders from cities and counties from across the United States who will discuss the role of local government in immigrant integration, protection, and defense at a time of multiple challenges and crises. 

8:00 – 9:30AM
WELCOME AND PRAYER & FR. LYDIO F. TOMASI, C.S. ANNUAL LECTURE ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION 

LECTURE
Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ
Under Secretary for the Section on Migrants and Refugees
Dicastery for Integral Human Development

9:30 – 10:00AM
BREAK

10:00 – 11:30AM
PLENARY PANEL VI: HOW CAN CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS BETTER PROMOTE THE INTEGRATION, PROTECTION AND DEFENSE FOR MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND FAMILIES ROOTED IN MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES 

Catholic teaching recognizes the right not to have to migrate, as well as the need to promote the full participation of immigrants, refugees, and their families in their new communities. This panel will explore how Catholic institutions can strengthen their work in promoting the integration, protection, and defense of persons with strong roots in sending and receiving communities.  It will consider this challenge at a time of large-scale displacement, returns and removals, and economic hardship. 

11:30AM – 12:00PM
BREAK

12:00 – 1:15PM
SIMULTANEOUS SESSIONS: CULTURAL AND LEGAL OBSTACLES TO INTEGRATION

Panel I: Community Sponsorship Models for Immigrant Integration in Europe and North America: Challenges and Opportunities 

Panel II: Working Through Cultural Obstacles to Immigrant Integration and Empowerment: Understanding Differences in Attitudes Toward Migrants in North America and Europe

Panel III: Addressing the Legal Obstacles to Immigrant Integration, Protection and Defense 

Panel IV: Bringing Research to Bear on the Needs of Catholic Institutions, and the Migrant Populations They Serve

1:15 – 2:00PM
BREAK

2:00 – 3:15PM
PLENARY PANEL VII: MAINSTREAMING CATHOLIC TEACHING ON IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES TO CATHOLICS AND CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS

This panel will discuss ways to build parish communities of belonging, hope, and sanctuary, and to mainstream Catholic teaching on immigrants and refugees to the broader Catholic Church. 

3:15 – 4:00PM
BREAK 

4:00 – 4:30PM
STUDENT PANEL DISCUSSION

Discussion with Notre Dame Students Doing Work with Migrants and Refugees

4:30 – 5:45PM
PLENARY PANEL VIII: A REFLECTION ON MIGRATION, PROTECTION, AND RACE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE HOLY FATHER’S CALL TO GO TO THE PERIPHERIES

This last panel of the conference will reflect on the interrelated themes of migration, protection, and race in the context of Pope Francis’ call to Catholics to go to the peripheries.  Participants will explore these themes from the perspective of marginalized communities—at the US-Mexico border and in the US interior—that are bearing the brunt of current crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and ethnic discrimination, and nativist policies.  It will reflect on what these realities mean for Catholic institutions, individually and collectively.

5:45 – 6:00PM
CONFERENCE ADJOURNMENT & MODERATED DISCUSSION WITH CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS: IDEAS FOR STRENGTHENING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S WORK WITH IMMIGRANTS AND CLOSING REFLECTIONS 

LYDIO F. TOMASI, C.S. ANNUAL LECTURE ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

Established in 2014, the Fr. Lydio F. Tomasi, C.S. Annual Lecture on International Migration addresses a migration-related topic of pressing concern to faith communities. Fr. Tomasi, a founding member of CMS, directed the institute from 1968 to 2001. Past lectures have been delivered by: Dr. Hosffman Ospino, Associate Professor of Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education at Boston College; Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck, Distinguished Scholar of Theology and Latino Studies at Loyola Marymount University; Dr. Maria Clara Bingemer, Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC); and Msgr. Arturo J. Bañuelas, S.T.D., Pastor of St. Mark’s Parish in El Paso, Texas.

The 2020 Fr. Lydio F. Tomasi, C.S. Annual Lecture on International Migration will be delivered by Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Under Secretary for the Section on Migrants and Refugees of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. His Eminence Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J. joined the Jesuit Order in 1963 and was ordained a Catholic Priest in 1973. He has worked in social justice ministry in Canada, Central America, Africa — principally on human rights, health, peace, ecology, AIDS. Since 2010 in the Vatican, he now focuses on migrants and refugees. A good writer and speaker in several languages, he works to make connections, especially with the Church, and help others to cooperate. On 1 September 2019, Pope Francis announced he would make him a cardinal on 5 October 2019. The Holy Father consecrated Michael Czerny a bishop on 4 October, making him titular archbishop of Benevento. On 5 October 2019, Pope Francis made him Cardinal Deacon of San Michele Arcangelo, Rome.

• Daniela Alulema, Director of Programs, Center for Migration Studies
• J. Kevin Appleby, Consultant, Center for Migration Studies
• Maruja MB Asis, Director, Scalabrini Migration Center of Manila
• Jose Arnulfo Cabrera, Director of Education and Advocacy for Migration, Ignatian Solidarity Network
• Bill Canny, Executive Director, Migration and Refugee Services, USCCB
• Fr. Sean Carroll, Executive Director, Kino Border Initiative
• Dylan Corbett, Executive Director, Hope Border Institute
• Adrian Cristea, Executive Officer, Dublin City Interfaith Forum
• Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Under Secretary for the Section on Migrants and Refugees, Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development
• Rev. Robert Dowd, CSC, Assistant Provost for Internationalization and Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame
• Ashley Feasley, Director of Policy, Migration and Refugee Services, USCCB
• Oliviero Forti, Manager of Caritas Italiana Immigration Office and President of Caritas Europa Migration Commission
• Brian Fraga, Contributing Editor, Our Sunday Visitor
• Luis Fraga, Rev. Donald P. McNeill, C.S.C., Professor of Transformative Latino Leadership, University of Notre Dame
• Anna Gallagher, Executive Director, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.
• Rev. Daniel Groody, CSC, Associate Provost and Associate Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
• Brett Hoover, Associate Professor and Graduate Director of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University
• Donald Kerwin, Executive Director, Center for Migration Studies
• Sharon Granados Mahato, Director of Development & Strategy, Scalabrini International Migration Network
• Ricardo Martinez- Schuldt, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Notre Dame University
• Tim Matovina, Professor and Chair of the Theology Department, University of Notre Dame
• Fr. Pat Murphy, Director, Casa del Migrante, Tijuana
• Mike Nicholson, Researcher, Center for Migration Studies
• Rudy Ojcak, Director of Office for Refugees, Archdiocese of Toronto
• Sr. Joanna Okereke, HHCJ, Assistant Director for the USCCB Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers
• Michael N. Okinczyc-Cruz, Executive Director, Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership
• Hosffman Ospino, Associate Professor of Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
• Sr. Norma Pimentel, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of Rio Grande Valley
• Roberta Ricucci, Associate Professor, University of Turin
• Ilaria Schnyder, Ford Family Research Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame
• Clemens Sedmak, Professor of Social Ethics; Interim Director, Nanovic Institute for European Studies, University of Notre Dame
• Elena Segura, Senior Coordinator, Pastoral Migratoria
• Fr. Robert Stark, SSS, Regional Coordinator – North America, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, Migrants and Refugees Section, Dicastery for Human Development
• Mar Munoz Visoso, Executive Director, USCCB Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church
• Gloria Whitcraft, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

• Archdiocese of Chicago, IL
• Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis
• Boston College
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
• Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston, MA
• Catholic Health Association of the United States
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)
• Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)
• Centro Scalabrini – Casa del Migrante Tijuana
• City of Dallas
• Diocese of Brooklyn
• Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
• Hope Border Institute
• Kino Border Initiative
• La Casa de Amistad
• Mexican American Catholic College
• Migration and Refugee Services, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
• Office for Immigrant Affairs and Immigration Education, Archdiocese of Chicago, IL
• Scalabrini International Migration Network
• Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
• St. Mark Catholic Church in El Paso, TX