Having lived and worked with the Latino community in Trenton for more than 20 years, Harry Luna has seen firsthand the struggles families encounter under current immigration laws.

“It affects everybody all the way around,” said Luna, a local business owner and longtime member of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral. “You’ve got family, you’ve got friends that come in with stories – somebody took their husband and they ask you [for help]. It gets so deep and rooted that you have to do something about it.”

Luna was among the ethnicallydiverse crowd to gather in front of Sacred Heart Church in Trenton for a candlelight vigil in support of immigration reform Sept. 20. Bishop John M. Smith and other local Church and community leaders took to the podium to offer prayers in English and Spanish during the emotional event, which featured a bilingual blend of solemn prayer and reflection with festive music and dancing.

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The crowd grew throughout the event as the sound of blaring trumpets and pounding drums grabbed the attention of passersby – which Luna said is exactly what needs to happen in order to get more people in the community involved in immigration issues. “We need to create awareness,” he said. “We (Latinos) are a very passive culture, and we need to wake up that big giant that is within us… Reform has to happen.”

The prayer vigil, sponsored jointly by Catholic Charities of Trenton’s El Centro de Recursos, Sacred Heart Parish and the Justice for Immigrants campaign, was held as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The month marks the anniversaries of the dates on which several Latin American countries declared their independence, including Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala.

In his remarks, Bishop Smith stated that the treatment of immigrants in the American legal system is a severe problem that must be addressed.

“Both political parties and people all throughout our country realize there is a need for immigration reform,” Bishop Smith said. “I invite you to pray with me that work will be begun in earnest and will be successfully concluded.”

Bishop Smith said that the inherent human dignity of all persons must be recognized, “regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, social and economic status, or legal status.” He also called for all members of the Church and society to be welcoming to migrants who hope to find a better life in the United States.

“We pray that those who seek to make a home in this Diocese of Trenton, a home in this beautiful country, may find us welcoming and willing to help them, to assist them and to walk along with them side by side,” Bishop Smith said.

Reflecting on a passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Msgr. Edward J. Arnister, pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, Trenton, said that the call to “welcome the stranger” has been present since the earliest days of Christianity. St. Paul issues a reminder that all people are members of the body of Christ and that all should mirror Christ’s model in being a minister of hospitality, Msgr. Arnister said.

“Certainly to have that attitude that St. Paul speaks of, we need to constantly invoke the Holy Spirit to help us form our hearts, our minds, our attitudes in welcoming the immigrant with his or her special gifts, culture and tradition,” he said.

Don Dailey, who works with Princeton University’s Pace Center for Civic Engagement, said he came to the vigil with the intention of listening to what people had to say about immigration issues and finding ways to offer assistance.

“When I hear about the issues and the struggles families and individuals experience, it is heartbreaking,” Dailey said.

“Hopefully this will be a small spark that will lead to something bigger,” he added. “In this case, I think people know these problems are here, so it is not a matter of paying attention to something that people haven’t heard. I think we need to listen and learn and try to understand what is going on in a deeper way, to connect in a human way on these issues.”