A Brief Report
Prepared by Nick Mele, Mary Mele and Lee Langdon, Church of the Assumption Parishioners,
August 2009
Summary
The Pilgrimage began on August 1, 2009 at the Church of the Assumption, Bellingham, WA. About 30 people walked the first, 3-mile leg of our pilgrimage, to Sacred Heart Church. During the 2 weeks of the pilgrimage, approximately 500 people from more than 20 Catholic parishes and several other denominations took part as walkers or supporters. (Additional supporters kept up through the pilgrimage blog which averaged several hundred hits a day throughout.) About 90 people took part in the final day's prayer vigil at the Northwest Detention Center on August 15; many had already walked some part of the journey. We were well-received at most churches and encouraged by the support from both Hispanic and non-Hispanic members of the communities through which we walked.
The enthusiasm of the Spanish-language media for the pilgrimage surprised us, especially since only two English-language news organizations, the Stanwood local paper and the Pacifica News Network, a progressive radio syndicate, covered the walk. In contrast, a number of Spanish-language radio programs and newspapers and the Seattle Univision television channel interviewed us and followed our progress throughout the pilgrimage, as did a reporter from The Northwest Catholic Progress.
Highlights (more details available at
We began the pilgrimage with a prayer service using symbols--a globe, a statue of a woman from South America, food, some Hebrew Scripture and an African cross—which we often used during our walk. We pilgrims received a blessing from Kathy Ernst, pastoral associate, under the large steel cross outside Assumption Church and set off. The weather was hot and sunny but we were well provided with water and hats and kept to the shade where we could. Several people joined us en route, thanks to cell phones. At Mass, one of the prayers of the faithful was for our pilgrimage and another for displaced persons. Fr. Qui Thac asked the walkers to stand and prayed another blessing over us at the conclusion of Mass.
At the potluck which followed, about 30 parishioners joined us. Jim Thomas from the Seattle Archdiocese, who had walked a pilgrimage from Bangor, WA, to Bethlehem in the 1980s, shared his reflections on pilgrimage and its relevance to immigration reform. He then showed a slide show about the Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage which inspired all participants. A lively Q and A followed-- a precursor of the many important discussions that took place during our pilgrimage.
On August 3, we started with 11 intrepid walkers, but soon met up with Jose Ortiz and about 30 teens and their chaperons who were at St. Charles in Burlington with the Youth Migrant Project. We also met four college students, graduates of Youth Migrant Project as middle school-ers; they are now making a documentary about the migrants' journey. Jose also walked us through a migrant workers camp…a sight none of us had seen before. We can never drive through Skagit Valley with the same eyes. We were later joined by Fr. Tom McMichael, who blessed us and the white crosses the young people had made, one of which was given to us in an very moving moment. We carried that cross from Burlington all the way to Tacoma.
The fourth day began with the Stations of the Cross of the Migrant Jesus, prayed with the Youth Migrant Project participants. We then walked to Immaculate Conception Church in Mount Vernon. On this day, we were joined for the first (but not the last) time by migrant workers and their families, as well as by some Youth Migrant Project participants. The following day, the walkers included two former migrant workers, who blessed us with their experiences of working the fields we passed.
On Saturday, August 8, people came from several parishes to join us, including Fr. Phil Bloom from St. Mary's in Monroe. Other parishes included St. Michael's, Snoqualmie; Holy Family, Kirkland; and St. Brendan's, Bothell. All together, nearly 75 people walked from Marysville to Immaculate Conception, Everett. The next day, we were greeted warmly at St. Thomas More in Lynnwood. After a Rosary and Benediction, enjoyed a multi-cultural potluck with about 35 members of the parish. The spirited conversation about immigration issues included a first-hand account of the travails of a Kenyan student who had been detained at the Tacoma facility. Monday, August 10, a large group of St. Thomas More people, including the pastor, Fr. Maurice Mamba, joined us after morning Mass for the walk to Christ the King in Seattle. The walkers ranged in age from lower primary schoolchildren to people in their seventies and we were again joined by people from other parishes in the area.
On Tuesday, August 11, several Christ the King parishioners joined the pilgrims, the staff of the Inter-community Peace and Justice Center, and Seattle University staff members for the walk to St. James Cathedral. A second group of 40 walked to the Cathedral later in the day, in time for the evening Mass; almost 70 people walked from St. James to St. Mary's parish, where the parishioners and members of the New Sanctuary movement from other denominations arranged a barbecue and exchange of ideas and experiences.
On August 13, only two people walked from Tukwila to St. Vincent De Paul in Federal Way. Fr. Bill McKee welcomed the pilgrims personally and the parish hosted a soup supper to which some dedicated and concerned people came, including the priest from St. Theresa's.
Saturday, August 15, began with a prayer circle in the parking lot at St. Martin of Tours in Fife. Nearly 60 people, from every stage of the pilgrimage and elsewhere, turned out to pray and walk the four miles to the Northwest Detention Center. We were met by Youth Migrant Project participants and Jose Ortiz, who had brought down crosses and pictures so that we could all pray the Stations of the Cross of the Migrant Jesus in front of the facility. So, 80-90 people prayed the Stations of the Cross of the Migrant Jesus and then a lovely call-and-response set of prayers. We prayed in both English and Spanish for detainees, their families and workers in the Detention Center. In the background private security people watched warily and took pictures of us, and families of detainees came out after visiting their loved ones. Afterwards, about 20 tired pilgrims went on to take part in Mass and a potluck at St. Leo the Great in Tacoma, finally returning home to Bellingham.
Prayer Journey
So much for the facts. All of the pilgrims from Bellingham feel we have been changed by this experience, both in our appreciation for the hardships and injustice which immigrants suffer and in a deeper connection to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We truly did pray the miles and experienced many graces as we walked, not least of which was the hospitality of immigrants and their sharing of their stories. There are some reflections and more details on how the walk changed us on our blog,
Next Steps
After reporting to our home parish and the Archdiocese, we plan to continue to learn, pray and speak about immigration reform, to work with Jose Ortiz and the Youth Migrant Project, and to encourage people to attend the workshops sponsored by the Archdiocese. We will try to create a Mission-Based Community in Bellingham, focused on immigration. We have also received tentative invitations to discuss our walk and immigration issues at Archbishop Murphy High School, St. Vincent De Paul Church, the Tukwila City Council/ Diversity Commission and the Federal Way Diversity Commission.
When asked by others along the walk, “What’s Next?”, we answered, “Keep up the work you are doing; find ways to open the eyes of fellow parishioners; support the Bishops on this and advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. Do what you can; a movement is growing and you are a part of it. Learn all you can; take the Crossing Borders JustMatters course. Do what you do, and do more of it.” The Center for American Progress in Washington DC is preparing a report for for legislators and other government officials about the faith community's concern for immigration reform.
Conclusion
The idea of a pilgrimage for Comprehensive Immigration Reform was a simple, logical step in a commitment to social justice. It was also a wild-eyed ambitious project that changed the lives of all who participated. The use of technology (cell phones, blogs, remote radio communication) enhanced the logistics, but it was the deep commitment of the good people of Washington to justice for all people that made it a phenomenal success. We prayed for a miracle, and it will take a miracle for immigration policies in the US to change. But the first step has been taken. And been noted.
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