By Lois Rogers |Features Editor

“Where in the world are you from?”

That was the question asked of members of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, as preparations were under way to observe July 14 as Justice for Immigrants Sunday.

And from the looks of the flags festooning the Faith Development Center and the wall-size map proclaiming the variety of nationalities of the members – the answer was – with the exception of Antarctica – just about everywhere.

The flags and the map went up for JFI Sunday in the center’s Gallery of Light and will remain on view for the next two weeks. They are but a part of the faith community’s response to Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. designating July 14 as JFI Sunday and calling on faithful in parishes across Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties to pray for positive movement toward fair immigration policies.

In his homily on JFI Sunday, Msgr. R. Vincent Gartland, pastor of St. Ann Parish, noted that Bishop O’Connell “has asked all members of the diocese to pray for justice for immigrants, to expand our awareness and our understanding of the problems of our immigration system in this country…” “Almost all of us have come from somewhere else,” Msgr. Gartland said. “Even those who claim their ancestors were here to meet the Mayflower, migrated from somewhere else many years before. We celebrate our shared history as a nation of immigrants. People from all over the world have come here to create a strong, diverse nation filled with energy and promise.”

Msgr. Gartland urged the community to focus on the fact that as Catholic faithful “we believe that we are all sisters and brothers in Christ, heirs with one another of God’s kingdom” and worthy of respect and “a chance to live a good life. This belief should work to make the immigration system in our country better.”

He held up the moving example of Pope Francis, who recently and quite unexpectedly made his first visit outside Italy as pope to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa. There, Msgr. Gartland noted, Pope Francis dropped a wreath of flowers into the Mediterranean in mourning for the thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who drowned while sailing from Africa to Europe in search of a better life.

Standing in the Gallery of Light the next day, Msgr. Gartland said the colorful banners and map with its push pins designating not only ethnic backgrounds but how many generations they represent, reflect a shared connection as a nation of immigrants.