SEATTLE – Although Pope Francis’ “Share the Journey” initiative comes to an official close in mid-June, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Seattle will continue supporting and advocating for local immigrants and refugees.

On June 8, the archdiocese and partner organizations are hosting “Sharing the Journey,” the third annual Catholic Immigration Summit, at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Seattle (see box for details).

Anyone interested in immigration issues is invited to “come with open hearts and intentions to learn more and draw closer to people who are directly impacted by this issue,” said Joe Cotton, the archdiocese’s pastoral outreach director. Previous summits have helped “to activate individuals and parishes,” he noted.

The summit is a collaboration of the archdiocese, St. James Immigrant Assistance, Seattle University’s Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture, SU Campus Ministry, the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center and Catholic Community Services/Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington.

Antonio Cube

The featured speaker will be Antonio Cube, national manager of the U.S. bishops’ Justice for Immigrants campaign. Born in the Philippines, Cube came to the U.S. with his family when he was 4 years old; they moved to Seattle when he was 10.

Cube said his “halftime pep talk” during the summit will include a retrospective on how the Catholic Church has responded to the immigrant and refugee situation at the national level in the past two years.

Cube said he hopes the presentation will help participants “relearn the immigrant tradition of our church. It’s a tapestry made richer by contributions of different people,” he said. And he hopes to send them off with enthusiasm and “marching orders” to continue their work in the archdiocese in support of immigrants and refugees, such as the recent Walking and Witnessing prayer walk. Cube thanked Archbishop J. Peter Sartain for his support for immigrant communities, including Masses celebrated in many languages across the archdiocese.

The immigration summit will conclude with a 3 p.m. Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, who was chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration from 2013 to 2016.

Attend the Catholic Immigration Summit

When: June 8

Where: St. Catherine of Siena Parish, 814 N.E. 85th St., Seattle

Schedule: Registration at 8:30 a.m., program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Mass at 3 p.m.

Register here.

Immigration initiatives

Share the Journey Justice for Immigrants Immigrant and Refugee Ministry