A three-part webinar series exploring intersections of faith and immigration will debut today, January 27, and continue in February and March. Featuring voices from Cabrini’s Center on Immigration, Wolfington Center, and Department of Religious Studies, the series, “Dreaming of a Single Human Family,” is presented by the Center on Immigration in partnership with the National Shrine of St. Frances X. Cabrini in Chicago and The Cabrini Retreat Center in Des Plaines, IL.
The premiere installment, “Themes from the Life and Spirituality of Mother Cabrini, Patroness of Immigrants,” begins at 11am on Jan. 27 and includes presentations from Nicholas Rademacher, PhD, Professor and Chair, Religious Studies, as well as Villanova University Campus Minister for Retreats, Michelle Sherman.
“We will explore the types of anti-immigrant and, specifically, anti-Italian bigotry that Mother Cabrini, her fellow sisters, and her fellow Italian immigrants experienced in the United States,” Rademacher said. “The presentation, we hope, will provide an opportunity for contemporaries to examine broader social attitudes on immigrants, to consider those in light of what the Italian immigrant community experienced, how Mother Cabrini and her sisters responded, and how we might respond in a way that better aligns with Mother Cabrini’s approach.”
The series continues at 11am on Wednesday, Feb. 24, with a presentation from Abel Rodriguez, JD (ʼ01), Assistant Professor, Religion, Law, and Justice, and Director, Center on Immigration. In his presentation, “The Center on Immigration: Challenges in Migration and a Cabrinian Response,” he will address how the Center is responding to modern challenges facing immigrant communities in the United States and abroad.
“As global politics further restrict migration, push factors such as global inequality, unyielding violence, and irreversible climate change persist and intensify,” Rodriguez said. “This virtual webinar will provide a concise overview of challenges facing immigrant communities at a local, national, and international level, and provide suggestions for those seeking to work for justice with people in migration.”
Ray Ward, PhD, Director, Wolfington Center, will highlight the work of the Center as he leads the series’ final webinar, “Immigration from the Perspective of the Cabrinian Charism on a Local, National, and International Level,” at 11am on Wednesday, March 24.
His presentation will key in on the mission of the Wolfington Center, which fosters community-based learning with students through Catholic social teaching and promotes the Education of the Heart, in the spirit of Mother Cabrini. Since 2002, students have participated in local and national activism through the Wolfington Center and its community partners—particularly the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Catholic Relief Services, and the Municipality of Norristown.
The series is open to all. Please visit the National Shrine of Cabrini website to access webinar Zoom links.