Holy Cross Retreat Center (HCRC) near Las Cruces, New Mexico, partners with the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) to assist refugees seeking asylum. They’ve helped settle refugees from Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Turkey, and other places.
The mission of LIRS: As a witness to God’s love for all people, we stand with and advocate for migrants and refugees, transforming communities through ministries of service and justice.
Friar Tom Smith, HCRC Director, recently wrote in the 2022 annual report:
The phrase “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 seems to guide me since I saw it recently. Some people have lost the hope of a stable faith life and seem to be dying spiritually. Others struggle with personal concerns and need an attentive person to care. Listening to the refugees who endure so much to travel to the United States seeking asylum to escape the chaos of their home countries, or to a woman who needs surgery but can’t have it because she and her husband were living in a car makes me feel like we have resources to share with our Franciscan hospitality.
Below is a video interview of Fr. Tom and Margaret Brown Vega (Refugee and Asylum Programs, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains.)
When asylum seekers arrive at the border, the welcome they receive is often anything but warm. Hear how LIRS network partner Lutheran Family Services of the Rocky Mountains (LFS-RM) and the Holy Cross Retreat Center help provide a softer landing and connect those seeking safety with essential legal and social services.
