You Welcomed Me
A Pastoral Letter on Migration Released on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12, 2005
Developed and approved by the Arizona Catholic Conference and the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys

On the great Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we contemplate the image of Mary that she left on the tilma (mantle) of St. Juan Diego in 1531. Her gentle face, tender and serene, invites us to move beyond any perspectives, attitudes, and feelings that diminish the dignity and value of people who may be different from ourselves in appearance, language, or culture. Like the star-filled sky it symbolizes, her mantle encompasses us and encourages us to be as open in our welcome and acceptance of others. This invitation is found over and over in Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Download "You Welcomed Me" in PDF.