How does our Catholic Faith and Jesuit Identity call us to respond to the needs of Migrants?
To mark National Migration Week (September 18-24, 2023) and World Day of Migrants and Refugees (September 24, 2023) St. Joe’s Prep is hosting a roundtable discussion focused on the Jesuit/Catholic Response to Immigration. The event is open to all and will take place on Monday, September 18th at 7:00pm.
For the past two summers, nine rising Seniors at St. Joe’s Prep, accompanied by school chaperones, have traveled to the US/Mexico Border to work with Jesuits ministering to people on both sides of the US/Mexico Border. They have been incredibly moved by that experience and will be at the event to share stories formally and informally with attendees.
Doors will open at 6:45pm, students will be there to greet guests and share a little about their experiences. The main presentation at 7:00pm will be a roundtable with Brian Strassburger, S.J., one of the Jesuits our students work with in Texas, and other panelists working on issues related to immigration in Philadelphia. Immediately following the presentation we will have a reception with light refreshments and a chance to informally continue the conversation with our students and presenters.
Click here to register.
Read below for more details on our panelists and presenters:
Brian Strassburger, S.J., host of the Jesuit Border Podcast, is a Jesuit priest missioned to the diocese of Brownsville, Texas where he leads a ministry working with migrants in the United States and Mexico. Brian was ordained in 2021 and has spent the last two years responding to the needs of people in the Rio Grande Valley. Brian is a graduate of Regis Jesuit High School (Denver, CO), St. Louis University, Fordham University, and Boston College. Brian is also a former Augustinian Volunteer (Bronx, NY and Durban, South Africa) and worked for the Augustinian Mission Office in Villanova.
Matt Egler DiFerdinando ’10 is a Staff Attorney at HIAS Pennsylvania. In his current position, he provides direct representation to individuals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement throughout removal proceedings and before the Board of Immigration Appeals. Matt is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Prep, Loyola University Maryland, and Boston College Law School. Matt is also is a former Jesuit Volunteer (Bridgeport ’14-’15) and studied abroad at the University of Central America in Nicaragua through Casa de la Solidaridad
Roundtable Moderator: Nick Napolitano, Provincial Assistant for Social Ministries for Jesuits, USA East. Further bio to come.
Potentially more panelists to come.
