St. Ignatius & St. Agnes Parish Joint Sanctuary Declaration

“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34)

Every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ, who identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age (Matthew 25:35-43).  The Lord entrusts to the Church’s motherly love every person forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future.  This solidarity must be concretely expressed at every stage of the migratory experience – from departure through journey to arrival and return.  This is a great responsibility, which the Church intends to share with all believers and men and women of good will, who are called to respond to the many challenges of contemporary migration with generosity, promptness, wisdom and foresight, each according to their own abilities.
(Message of His Holiness Pope Francis, for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018, Issued 15 August 2017)

The Roman Catholic Jesuit Parishes of San Francisco - St. Agnes and St. Ignatius – recognize God’s call to respect and protect the human dignity of all people, regardless of where they are in life’s journey. We share with God the deep desire for a world rooted in peace, mercy, and compassion. With the City of St. Francis as our home, we are compelled to follow the example of our patron, as well as heed the Church’s call to a preferential option for the poor and the urgent exhortation of the Society of Jesus to be women and men for others and accompany migrants on their journeys. To that end, the Parishes together affirm that we are sanctuaries for migrants, refugees, and other peaceful people who may be subject to exclusion or removal from this land.

As sanctuary parishes, we are working together to treat all our brothers and sisters – including those who seek to be among us, but have not yet completed their journey, and those who are among us, yet undocumented, unwelcome, or unfairly targeted – with the same respect and dignity afforded any person in our community.  

To this end, we commit to actively:

• Welcome, listen, and respond to the call and needs of our brothers and sisters to the best of our ability.
• Educate ourselves and others on the needs, concerns, and issues facing migrants, refugees, and the undocumented;
• Bring collective parish resources to bear for providing direct support to those in need;
• Foster greater government transparency and due process by accompanying individuals or families facing deportation or exclusion and serving as witnesses to enforcement actions;
• Assist migrants in obtaining refuge;
• Advocate lawmakers and others for comprehensive and humane immigration reform that honors the inherent dignity of each and every migrant;
• Offer Parish facilities as safe meeting spaces to organizers, lawyers, community organizations, and others to congregate;
• Not voluntarily facilitate, cooperate, or consent to immigration enforcement activities on our grounds unless legally compelled to do so by a valid court order;
• Not voluntarily assist or cooperate with any investigation, surveillance, or gathering of information about the immigration status, religious identity, or citizenship of any employee, parishioner, or community member unless explicitly required by a valid court order;
• Gather for communal prayer to continually discern the movement of the Spirit in our work, actions, and lives;
• Build and sustain relationships with congregations most impacted by the needs of Migrants; and
• Partner with the Archdiocese of San Francisco in cooperative efforts regarding migration.

As Catholic Jesuit Parishes, we are specifically called to join in the larger Jesuit commitment to serve and walk with migrants throughout their journeys. We know that this process and the people we meet will change our hearts; this is truly what our faith is about.  That is, we offer this pledge to serve our brothers and sisters, all for the greater glory of God.


With God’s love and the Spirit’s hope,  

Ray Allender, S.J., Pastor, St. Agnes Parish 
Greg Bonfiglio, S.J, Pastor, St. Ignatius Parish