Sometimes we feel that to be effective we have to choose between direct service to those in need and working for systemic change. But the Franciscan hospitality we practice at Holy Cross Retreat Center in Mesilla Park, N.M., combines these two aspects of our call to service, assisting individual immigrants and families while at the same time seeking justice for all.

For many years, the center has welcomed those who travel, often from more rural areas, to Mesilla Park for medical treatment. They can stay with us for free when they cannot afford to stay in a hotel. In November 2016, we began inviting asylum seekers, giving them a warm welcome, a room, meals and assistance getting transportation to family members in the United States. The desire of St. Francis to live as a poor man and his outreach to the lepers, the most marginalized people of his time, inspired us to likewise reach out to those who are marginalized in American society, the immigrants. As of July, more than 500 parents and children have graced us with their presence and touched us with their stories and their joy after fleeing violence and severe poverty.

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