Seven California bishops celebrated an emotional Mass on December 10 outside the ICE Processing Center near Adelanto, California. The outdoor service aimed to bring faith and hope to approximately 300 undocumented immigrants awaiting legal proceedings. The event was organized by the California Catholic Conference and the Diocese of San Bernardino. Bishop Brian A. Nunes described the experience of seeing the detainees as powerful, moving beyond impersonal categorization. This was the first major religious event held at the High Desert facility since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
3 months ago
Seven California bishops concelebrated Mass on December 10, 2025, at the ICE Processing Center near Adelanto in the Mojave Desert.1
The outdoor service, the first major religious event there since the COVID-19 pandemic, drew about 300 detainees from countries including Mexico, Turkey, and China.1
Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino was the main celebrant, joined by retired Bishop Gerald R. Barnes, Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, and auxiliaries from Los Angeles and Sacramento.1
Organized by the California Catholic Conference and Diocese of San Bernardino, the Mass was inspired by the U.S. bishops' November message on immigration.1
Bishop Cantú preached in English and Spanish, stating God's love transcends fences and barriers.1
Bishop Rojas assured detainees, "You are not alone," receiving grateful responses like "Muchas gracias!"1
Detainees watched from fenced areas, applauded at the start and end, and showed deep emotion during Communion.1
Many received on the tongue, knelt in prayer, or lay prostrate; some requested blessings for Bibles or rosaries.1
Auxiliary Bishop Brian A. Nunes found seeing detainees' faces "very powerful," humanizing them beyond categories.1
Bishop Rey Bersabal struggled with composure, noting Communion's profound meaning; Bishop Barnes was moved by their gratitude.1
At a post-Mass press conference, bishops advocated comprehensive immigration reform, criticizing the "broken" system.1
They urged justice tempered with mercy, regardless of background, and linked it to statewide Holy Hours for immigrants.1
The west wing houses 1,600 men; bishops noted it appeared clean but did not tour fully.1
Staff, including the new warden and chaplain, were welcoming amid past accusations against operator GEO Group.1
How does Catholic pastoral care address the dignity of detained immigrants?
Catholic pastoral care unequivocally affirms the inherent dignity of every detained immigrant as a person created in God's image, beloved regardless of their circumstances or actions. Drawing from the Church's tradition of works of mercy, papal teachings emphasize non-judgmental accompaniment, restoration of human dignity through closeness and tenderness, and active efforts to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants—even those in detention—as essential responses to Christ's command to care for the stranger (Mt 25:35). This approach counters dehumanizing tendencies, such as viewing migrants merely as "adjectives" rather than persons, and insists that detention, while sometimes necessary for legal order, must never erode the fundamental respect due to each individual.
At the heart of Catholic pastoral care for detained immigrants is the recognition that imprisonment or detention does not strip away one's status as a child of God. Pope Francis teaches that "whatever a detainee may have done, he remains always beloved by God," urging Christians to enter the depths of the inmate's conscience with mercy rather than judgment. This principle extends directly to detained immigrants, who often face compounded suffering from loss of freedom, degrading conditions, and separation from homeland. Pastoral care calls for restoring dignity by addressing these realities: "A Christian is motivated to do everything to restore his dignity," transforming prisons from places of degradation into opportunities for remorse, healing, and reintegration.
This dignity is inalienable, rooted in the Gospel's supreme law of fraternal love, which transcends origin, race, or legal status. Fratelli Tutti warns against practices that treat migrants as "less worthy, less important, less human," a mindset incompatible with Christian faith that prioritizes the person over political preferences. Similarly, Pope John Paul II highlights migrants and refugees—many of whom end up detained—as deserving "the greatest attention," integrating them into the Church's apostolic concern through hospitality and fraternity amid "inhuman situations." For detained immigrants, pastoral care thus rejects "justicialism" that fosters finger-pointing, instead promoting attitudes of sharing, respect, and tenderness, as evidenced by tears of prisoners moved by felt love.
Visiting the imprisoned stands as a concrete work of mercy tailored to detained immigrants, embodying Christ's identification with the least (Mt 25). Pope Francis explicitly links this to migrants, preferring "migrating persons" to honor their personhood and advocating four verbs—welcome, protect, promote, integrate—as a shared journey, not top-down aid. The Church in places like Morocco exemplifies this by staying "close to migrant people," fulfilling "I was a stranger, and you welcomed me."
Even in detention settings, pastoral care manifests through spiritual and practical support: dialogue, assistance, and evangelization that foster peace and Gospel proclamation. Pope John Paul II describes migration, including forced displacement leading to detention, as a "vast field for the new evangelization," calling for an Instruction on migrants' spiritual needs and ecumenical/interreligious dimensions. Recent appeals underscore urgency, as Pope Francis brought detained-like refugees from Cyprus and Greece to Rome, urging Churches to welcome and integrate them as a "small sign" for broader responsibility.
Catholic teaching confronts fears of "invasion" or exploitation of migrants for political gain, insisting on regulated migration that balances security with humanity: "accept, promote, accompany and integrate migrants, while at the same time respecting the culture, sensitivities and security of the peoples." Harsh measures like mass deportation are deemed gravely sinful, akin to rejecting the orphan, widow, and stranger commanded in the Old Testament—a direct assault on life. Pastoral care thus positions the Church as an "instrument of mercy," challenging xenophobia and advocating for conditions where detained immigrants can work, find community, and feel human again.
In regions like the Mediterranean—now a "great cemetery" due to traffickers and risky routes—pastoral efforts aim to make it a "laboratory of peace" through encounter, not closure. This includes attention to unaccompanied minors among detainees, urging global responsibility over unilateral burdens.
In summary, Catholic pastoral care addresses detained immigrants' dignity through merciful presence that restores personhood, integrates works of mercy into accompaniment, and prophetically critiques dehumanizing systems—all faithful to the Church's mission of fraternity and evangelization. By prioritizing closeness over condemnation, it witnesses to God's boundless love, inviting all to participate in this redemptive work.