Immigration, ICE shadow Eucharistic pilgrimage near downtown LA
Even as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage made a prayer stop at St. Vincent DePaul Church near downtown Los Angeles on June 21, the fear and tensions from recent raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents reared their head.
After singing the Spanish adoration hymn “Bendito, Bendito Sea Dios” (“Blessed, Blessed Be God”), parishioners kneeled in front of the Blessed Sacrament outside the church, as the national pilgrimage began its second day in LA with a Eucharistic adoration session.
But while Catholics venerated the Eucharist as it progressed from the school’s parking lot to the street and into the church, Lorena, an undocumented parishioner at St. Vincent DePaul, received a message from her 19-year-old daughter, who was selling candles outside.