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 Post subject: Church, Sheriff celebrate release of BP illegals
PostPosted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:42 pm 
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http://nwi.com/articles/2009/03/20/news ... ogcomments

E.C. church celebrates release of immigrants

By Lu Ann Franklin
Times Correspondent | Friday, March 20, 2009 | (1 comment(s))


EAST CHICAGO | On Dec. 10, Maria Patricia Pareja-Cali dropped her 3-year-old daughter at preschool and went on to her contract cleaning job at the Whiting BP plant. That was the last she saw of her family until Thursday morning when she was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Service custody in Chicago.

The Colombia native's release on bond was a cause for jubilation Thursday evening at St. Mary Church where she is a member. The Rev. Steve Gibson celebrated Mass for the Feast Day of St. Joseph, the patron saint of workers, and parish members hosted a potluck dinner honoring all the immigrants arrested in the BP raid.
"We were inspired to make this feast day big because we could be in the church rather than have the Mass in jail," Gibson told more than 100 people of all ages who attended the service.

During the Mass, Gibson welcomed Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez and thanked him for his support of the immigrants. The priest also acknowledged Chicago attorney Macarena Tamayo Calabrese, who represented some of those arrested in both criminal and immigration courts.

"St. Joseph is the patron saint of those who suffer," Gibson said. "Those in our church have suffered from injustice. They are freed from jail, but they still have to live an insecure life."

Roman Torrano-Ramirez was among the five immigrants arrested and transferred to jails in four states before his release on March 10. He said he came to the United States with a visa in 1987 and stayed when the visa expired. Since his release, the father of three children -- who are U.S. citizens -- hasn't been permitted to work.

"I feel very excited to see my family again," Torrano-Ramierz said. "This church supported us with prayers, donations, paying our bond, visited us in jail and gave us Communion."


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