Sisters of Providence welcome Nuns on the Bus

How do you bring God’s love, mercy and justice to the lives of some of the most vulnerable residents of the United States? For the Sisters of Providence, Providence Associates, and other U.S. sisters it means not only walking with people in great need and helping them improve their lives through education or material assistance, it also means advocating to change the systems that oppress.

The Sisters of Providence joined such an effort on June 13 as NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus, a Catholic social justice lobbying group currently touring the southern United States to advocate for just immigration reform, made a stop at Providence in the Desert, a Sisters of Providence ministry in the Thermal/Mecca area of southern California.

“What an exciting day! Our area sisters brought their friends; they all made a strong cheering section for immigration reform. I think our students felt that they were being heard, and I hope everyone gained a new understanding of how beautiful these people are who pick our food,” said Sister Carol Nolan, director of Providence in the Desert.

Providence in the Desert brings free English language instruction to immigrant field workers, most of whom live in isolated, substandard trailer parks. The Sisters of Providence sought out some of the most economically needy people in the United States, asked them what it was they needed and thus began the ministry in 2002.

Read more about the Nuns on the Bus visit to Providence in the Desert in Sister Carol’s initial blog post about the visit. Or read a recap of the visit to Providence in the Desert on the Nuns on the Bus website.

Sisters of Providence Associate Jeannie Smith, from Solana Beach, Calif., also joined her voice and presence with the Nuns on the Bus at another of their stops. In this photo of her (foreground, right) and Sister Jeanette Lucinio (left). She tells o f the energy for change created as the bus nuns chanted “Raise your hands, raise your voice, comprehensive immigration reform NOW!”

Jeannie said it “was a great morning and good to be with such a group of wonderfully concerned women and men at Friendship Park on the San Diego/Tijuana border.”