Bishop Perez celebrates Mass for Justice July 8 at Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain
?Our eyes are on the Lord awaiting his mercy.?
That psalm was read at Mass on July 8 as hundreds of people gathered at Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain to pray for undocumented people across the country who are separated from their families. Many are either facing deportation orders or already were deported, while others are concerned that they could be caught up in the federal government?s more aggressive immigration policies.
?Our hearts go out to them,? said Bishop Nelson Perez, who celebrated the Mass for Justice. The bishop has called the immigration system broken and urged the faithful to pray for those impacted by the current policies.
The church was filled and many people were in overflow seating. Father Bill Thaden, Sacred Heart pastor, and Father Bob Wenz, a retired diocesan priest, were concelebrants. Both priests are former staff members of the diocesan mission in El Salvador. Several deacons from around the diocese also attended the liturgy, as well as a group of Mercedarian sisters. The Mass was celebrated primarily in Spanish.
The bishop told the congregation that Pope Francis frequently uses two words