A Catholic priest from Chicago’s suburbs walked from Dolton, Illinois to New York, a trek of more than 50 days, as he sent a message of solidarity with immigrants. Pope Leo has challenged clergy to do what they can to show support. Via CBS.news:
For 56 days and more than a million steps, Fr. Gary Graf took a spiritual journey, walking from Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home in Dolton to the Statue of Liberty in New York.
It was an act of solidarity with immigrant families.
“I saw how particularly previous parishioners’ families were being terrorized, and the fear that I heard, the stories. I just felt so impotent. I had to do something,” said Graf, a member of Priests for Justice for Immigrants, a coalition of immigrant and native-born priests from the Chicago Archdiocese.
He walked to New York, stopping along the way, listening to the stories of immigrant families, praying and reflecting with local faith communities, and inviting religious leaders and citizens to join in calling for humane immigration reform.
“Listening to those stories and telling those stories, the issue of immigration became not an issue, but a person, people; and I think it’s humanizing us, all of us,” he said.
