By Tom Gilchrist
For The Advertiser
VASSAR — Following public protests about a plan to bring Central American child and teenage immigrants to a Wolverine Human Services facility here, clergy members and an advocacy group will sponsor a vigil Thursday afternoon to “focus on prayer and the opportunity to understand the situation that the children are in.”
The “Interfaith Vigil for Vassar and Refugee Children” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Vassar’s Grace Lutheran Church, 885 S. Saginaw St., is open to the public and features clergy of various denominations. The event is sponsored by a group of organizations including Michigan United, an advocacy group backed by labor unions and various churches.
The vigil “will focus on prayer and the opportunity to understand the situation that the children are in,” said Paul Werner, lay minister at Grace Lutheran.
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Tens of thousands of children and teenagers have crossed illegally into Texas in recent months from Central American countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The federal government reports the youths flee to the U.S. to join family members here, escape abuse or exploitation, or seek employment or educational opportunities.
Wolverine Human Services hopes to house up to 120 of the immigrants — males ages 12 to 17. While protesters have derided that plan in recent weeks, Werner and six other clergy members signed a July 14 joint statement by Most Rev. Joseph R. Cistone, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw.
The statement calls for “compassion” for the “undocumented children” who have arrived in the U.S. from Central America.
“As faith leaders, we are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of the children involved,” the joint statement declared. “We urge lawmakers to protect these vulnerable children from further danger and exploitation and to work expeditiously for comprehensive immigration reform.”
Rev. Catherine Christman of Vassar’s First United Methodist Church, who signed the joint statement, wrote in an email to the Advertiser that it’s time to “embrace these children as community members.”
“Rather than dwell on the fear and confusion, let’s embrace these children as community members and show them the hospitality that we show one another every day in the grocery store, at the gas station, post office and the gym,” Christman stated.
“Now is the time for leading by example. Let’s reflect our community pride to these young people.”
Thursday’s event at Grace Lutheran features Rev. John D. Schleicher, former bishop of the North West Lower Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who has made multiple mission trips to Honduras in recent years, according to Werner.
Members of the North West Lower Michigan Synod make regular mission trips to San Pedro Sula, a large city in Honduras dubbed “the world’s deadliest city” by National Public Radio due to the 1,200 people killed there in 2012. The city is plagued by violent street gangs and drug cartels, and by corrupt government agencies, according to media reports.
While youths who join gangs become part of the violence, those who don’t can be killed or injured by gang members, according to Werner.
Werner cited a Bible passage from the Book of Matthew (Chapter 19, verses 13 and 14) stating “Some people brought children to Jesus so that he would place his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded them. ‘Allow the children to come to me,’ Jesus said. ‘Don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children.”
The Bible verse “gives you pause to consider what our position should be when we’re listening to Jesus call us,” Werner said. He added that “Each of us still needs to make up our mind.”
The decision to accept or reject the immigrants in Vassar is a “gut-wrenching decision” for Christians, according to Werner.
“God asks us to love each other as we love ourselves. … But we’re just like everybody else. We’re afraid for our security, afraid for our children, for our grandchildren, and like all human beings, we’re afraid of change.”
Fear of the unknown also plays a part, he said.
“We don’t exactly know if ‘A: Are (the immigrants) even coming?’ or ‘B: What will they be like?’ or ‘C: What will the rules be? How will they live, and how will (Wolverine Human Services) supervise them?’” Werner said.