This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. - Isaiah 58: 6-7
JOIN US!
ESTHER, Faith Communities to Hold Prayer Vigils for Immigrant
Brothers and Sisters in Arizona, Wisconsin and Across the Country
Tuesday, July 13th
Saturday, July 17th(Culminating Service)
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
Emmanuel United Methodist Church
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
(Spanish interpretation available)
(Spanish interpretation available)
Inspired by Isaiah 58, which teaches us that a “true fast” is undertaken in service of “loosening the chains of injustice.
Take time to pray and fast for 30 minutes during the week of July 11-17. This movement is part of a national effort that includes 8 weeks of prayer rolling from one group of states to the next to engage people of faith in the assigned states in constant prayer and public prayer events and advocacy for immigration reform.
The recent anti-immigration law in Arizona has galvanized faith communities across the nation to take a stand with immigrants against the divisiveness and injustice that have characterized the U.S. immigration debate. Wisconsin’s vigil week is from July 11 through July 17.
ESTHER is participating in this event in conjunction with the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.
Two prayer services will be held to stand in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters and to pray for the passage of comprehensive immigration reform. In addition, individuals will commit themselves to 30 minutes of prayer or meditation and fasting throughout the week.
For more information, contact Ana Wilson at (920) 209-0498.
Faith communities support comprehensive immigration reform to; keep families united, support those that are oppressed, advocate for human dignity, and promote safe and smart border enforcement. Resources are listed below to learn what your faith denomination says about immigrant rights.
Peter, a member of St. Margaret Mary Parish and long-time leader in ESTHER has dedicated his energies to addressing the fair treatment of immigrants. Take time to read this important book.
Book Description:
Why have millions of Mexicans and other Latinos fled their homelands and risked their lives to come to the U.S. in search of a job? Why are they living in the shadows, ever fearful of being discovered by the migras and of being deported?
Why is the United States, a nation of immigrants, which often welcomed and recruited millions of Mexicans workers in the past, now spending billions of dollars on walls, border patrols, detention centers and workplace raids to get them out and keep them out?
The issue is as complex as it is divisive. There are root causes, of course, and U.S. politics and trade policies have played a major role in producing today’s immigration crisis.
But the migrants themselves, real people with real experiences related throughout “Illegal,” are the most credible witnesses to the system gone awry as well as the injustices suffered and endured on both sides of the border.
Let them tell you their poignant stories. Rosa lost her husband to the drug wars and Rogelio lost his best friend in the desert. Ernesto lost his farm. Enrique was deported after a workplace raid. And Cresencio and Hector now are living the American dream, thanks to the amnesty program of the 1980s. That's just a sample.
Purchase your own copy of this book. Contact Peter Geniesse (920)725-6702 or buy online by clicking here:
We have worked faithfully and diligently over this past year. Let’s take a step back and look at what happens when faith communities come together to build a community reflective of shared values within our faith traditions.
We worked on treatment instead of prison. Outagamie County now has a drug court that works with nonviolent drug offenders to rehabilitate their lives, keep families together, and keep persons out of costly incarceration.
We worked on education. All residents graduating from Wisconsin high schools are now eligible for in-state tuition rates in our state technical colleges and universities.
We worked to have affordable and accessible health care. This work continues at both the state and national level.
We worked to diminish predatory payday lending. Together with WISDOM affiliates across the state we have called for a cap on the over 500% interest rates charged by payday and title loan companies in our communities.
