Photo by Tere Scully.
This month marks the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and we share Pope Francis’s annual message for this occasion. We also look ahead to the KBI’s Third Annual Walking in Mercy Youth Summit and the Eighth Annual Phoenix Dinner, and offer details about our December immersions. Finally, we are pleased to announce that your generous donations during 2017 surpassed $1,000,000, exceeding our fundraising goals by 12%!
- World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Pope Francis’s annual message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees focuses on the theme of “Welcoming, protecting, promoting, and integrating migrants and refugees.” Commemorated each year on January 14, the day calls us to consider the plight faced by displaced people at the U.S.–Mexico border and worldwide, and renew our commitment to accompany them in whatever ways we can and work toward immigration policies that offer migrants and refugees protection, family unity, and better lives. Read the Holy Father’s message for this year here: https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20170815_world-migrants-day-2018.html.
- Walking in Mercy Youth Summit: The Third Annual Walking in Mercy Youth Summit, sponsored by the KBI and Kino Teens, will be held at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson on February 3. 2018. The afternoon gathering of teens from various high schools covers the migrant experience and ways to support undocumented students and their families, offering opportunities to discuss and reflect on advocacy issues and community involvement through workshops, role-playing, and skits created by the students.
- Phoenix Dinner: Don’t miss the Eighth Annual Kino Border Initiative Dinner in Phoenix on Saturday, March 3, 2018. For more information about the event and purchasing tickets, please contact dinner committee co-chairs Lisa Grant at phxgrants5@msn.com and Lucy Howell at lucyhowell801@gmail.com. Updates can be found at: https://www.kinoborderinitiative.org.
- Immersion Experiences: In December, the KBI hosted immersion groups from various high schools and universities throughout the country as well as a group from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Tucson.
| Immersion Group | # of participants | # of days at the KBI |
| Brophy College Preparatory Phoenix, AZ |
10 participants | 1 day |
| Xavier University Cincinnati, OH |
8 participants | 3 days |
| Notre Dame Preparatory HS Scottsdale, AZ Jesuit |
10 participants | 1 day |
| Seattle University Seattle, WA |
9 participants | 3 days |
| Jesuit Volunteer Corps Tucson, AZ |
8 participants | 1 day |
| UCLA Los Angeles, CA |
8 participants | 3 days |
| Boston College, School of Social Work, Boston, MA | 15 participants | 1 day |
- 2017 Fundraising News: The KBI is pleased to announce that, with the support of our generous donors, we raised $1,090,590 in 2017! We also received an additional $125,000 designated for our new shelter, garnered support to fully fund our legal fellow for the next two years, and received contributions from 468 new donors. Many thanks to our dedicated donors and supporters! We could not do this important work with you!
Increasingly, migrants come to the U.S. fleeing violence and insecurity. Our faith calls us to see them, to understand their situations and to offer protection. Our partners at the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) regularly accompany individuals and families who are denied access to the due process and protection they deserve. We echo KBI s deep concern that President Trump’s actions will make individuals and families fleeing violence even more vulnerable. The detention of people who come to the United States in search of safety, those who are entitled to fair consideration of their claims under international norms and U.S. law, is dehumanizing and does not reflect our Catholic faith s commitment to human rights.