Father Guillermo Treviño takes a break and visits with Sister Norma Pimental, M.J., second from right, a longtime advocate for immigrants and former Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award recipient, during a recent visit to Washington, D.C.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
WEST LIBERTY — From his participation in roundtable discussions with bishops and other Catholic leaders to an upcoming meeting at the Vatican, Father Guillermo Treviño is raising the voices of marginalized immigrants in small-town rural Iowa.
Earlier this month, Father Treviño shared his experiences as the pastor of St. Joseph parishes in Columbus Junction and West Liberty whose congregations are predominantly Hispanic, many of them immigrants. He also serves as chaplain and co-chair of Escucha Mi Voz (Listen to My Voice), a community-organizing group in Iowa.
The deportation of one of his West Liberty parishioners, 20-year-old Pascual Pedro Pedro, an undocumented immigrant, drew national and international attention after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities detained the young construction worker after his annual check-in July 1. Authorities deported Pedro Pedro to his homeland, Guatemala, just hours after a prayer service at the West Liberty parish at which Bishop Dennis Walsh presided.
Father Guillermo Treviño’s advocacy on behalf of Pedro Pedro and other immigrants led to the invitation to serve as a panelist for a dialogue Sept. 11 on Deportations and Assaults on Human Dignity. The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. organized the event. Father Treviño served on the panel with two archbishops, two bishops, a woman religious and two other laywomen with expertise in immigration issues.
The initiative’s director, Kim Daniels, asked Father Treviño to “give us a sense of how these new realities are affecting the lives and dignity of your parishioners and neighbors and how you’re responding as a parish as well.”
Speak up
Father Treviño said that after he received a text message from Pedro Pedro’s grandfather, Francisco Pedro, that the young man had been detained and was in jail, “I was trying to figure out, ‘Well, what are we going to do?’ And so that same evening we organized a prayer vigil and it (drew) 50 people. … That was pretty impressive for rural Iowa.”
Afterwards, Escucha Mi Voz and its supporters called the ICE office daily, seeking the release of Pedro Pedro, who had committed no crimes since arriving in the U.S. at age 13 with his father, who was undocumented.
Father Treviño said the ICE director of that office received 1,500 phone calls. “So half the town probably called ICE … It’s amazing — people on all sides calling — business owners, everything sympathetic.” Father Treviño is convinced that the power of the people matters, “if we speak up and don’t be afraid… Scripture says that where two or more are gathered in my name, I’ll be there. And so that’s what we’ve been doing in Iowa.”
On a recent Tuesday, Escucha Mi Voz reported that 150 people had accompanied immigrants to their check-in. The people that Escucha Mi Voz supporters accompanied were not detained, the priest said. “Support the people. Make a big deal out of it. That’s what we’re doing.”
Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award recipient Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J., a longtime advocate for immigrants, also participated in the dialogue. In her role as executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas and other advocacy work, she has interacted with immigrants and border patrol agents.
“Sometimes we lose sight of our own humanity when we’re trying to figure out what to do. And we cannot lose sight of our humanity because that’s what keeps us grounded with who we are in relationship to God,” Sister Pimentel said. “God is pulling us forward to do the right thing, to love…. We may not have the power to end or stop all of this that’s happening, we certainly do have the power to love and we must do that.”
A plea for help
Prior to the dialogue, Father Treviño visited one-on-one with Iowa’s congressional delegation: Senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst and U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The priest literally rushed off the plane to meet with Grassley. During each visit, Father Treviño said he asked for Pedro Pedro’s release and for introduction of legislation that would make it possible for immigrants like him to work in the U.S. Grassley “was sympathetic but made no promises.” Miller-Meeks was also sympathetic and “said she would do whatever she can” (regarding Pedro-Pedro’s situation). Ernst “was more realistic. She said (ICE) has to follow the law.”
Whether or not his requests yield positive results, “I’m just a small-town priest trusting in God to help me bring about change for the people I serve,” Father Treviño said.
Father Guillermo Treviño stands in front of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops office in Washington, D.C.
In late October, he will have another opportunity to give voice to the well-being of immigrants. He will serve as a representative at the Meeting of Popular Movements hosted by the Vatican and taking place in Rome, said Deacon Kent Ferris, director of Social Action for the Davenport Diocese. “The invitation is through Father Treviño’s work with Escucha Mi Voz, a Gamaliel Network affiliate and recipient of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grant in the Davenport Diocese,” Deacon Ferris said.
“Earlier this summer, at the request of the Hope Border Institute in El Paso, Texas, the Davenport Diocese’s Social Action and Social Media offices recorded a message to Pope Leo XIV about immigrants’ experience in the United States. “We recorded and submitted video messages from Pascual Pedro Pedro’s grandfather and Father Treviño. Both expressed gratitude for the support the Church has shown immigrants while also asking for prayers that elected officials might seek to enforce immigration laws with compassion and mercy,” Deacon Ferris said.
“We were hopeful that the video messages would be shepherded by the Migrants & Refugee Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and that Pope Leo might see our two messages along with so many others about the plight of immigrants.”
Now, Father Treviño will have the opportunity to share in person. “The World Meeting of Popular Movements (WMPM) is a recurring initiative by the late Pope Francis to connect grassroots leaders and Church leadership to address issues of justice and inequality. For his part, Father Treviño has accompanied Pascual and his family for years, and in the past few months, this has included prayer vigils, as well as traveling to the halls of Congress to plead for mercy and the return of Pascual to West Liberty,” Deacon Ferris said. “I am inspired by Father’s witness not only for Pascual, but for all of our brother and sisters who are immigrants and worthy of our care and compassion.”
