Jesuit Refugee Service/USA ministers to detainees

Fr. Kenneth J. Gavin, S.J., the Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA talks about the chaplaincy services provided by Jesuit Refugee Service/USA to detainees in detention centers across the United States.

"We make sure men and women who are detained have access to the solace of their God, in whatever religious tradition they come from," says Fr. Gavin, noting that JRS ministers to Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and other detainees.

"There is a dramatic need people have to really experience God in their life," says Fr. Gavin. "In all the anxiety of detention, they know that the Lord is with them."

The mission of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, witnessing to Gods presence in vulnerable and often forgotten people driven from their homes by conflict, natural disaster, economic injustice, or violation of their human rights. As one of the ten geographic regions of the Jesuit Refugee Service, JRS/USA serves as the major refugee outreach arm of U.S. Jesuits and their institutional ministries, mobilizing their response to refugee situations in the U.S. and abroad. Through our advocacy and fund raising efforts, JRS/USA also provides support for the work of JRS throughout the world.

JRS/USA gives help, hope, ear and voice to vulnerable people on the move by being present to and bearing witness to their plight; by relieving their human suffering and restoring hope; by addressing the root causes of their displacement and improving international responses to refugee situations. In addition, JRS/USA inspires the Ignatian family and others to respond together to the needs of refugees and displaced persons worldwide and forges strong partnerships with like-minded institutions and agencies devoted to the cause of refugees and displaced persons.

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• detention
• immigration
• reform
• migrant
• Catholic
• Jesuit