Love within and beyond borders
by Bishop Joensen | January 14, 2025
Half of our actively assigned priests and many religious sisters in the Diocese of Des Moines come from countries other than the United States. Their ministry among us is crucial for animating sacramental life in our parishes, especially Holy Mass, and for the broader range of pastoral care in hospitals, prisons, and other venues. For international priests to be able to serve here involves the coordination of various folks, including the native (arch)dioceses’ (arch)bishops, diocesan center staff, and of course, persons at the local parish or care institution.
One essential individual who has been assisting us for years to ensure that people have access to the ministry of priests and religious sisters in our Diocese is Lori Chesser, a well-respected immigration attorney and advocate for immigration reform with the Dentons Davis Brown firm in Des Moines. Lori and her team are expert and nimble in procuring visas and assisting individuals as they negotiate the often protracted processes enabling clergy and others to legally work and live here under diverse circumstances. We are grateful for all she and her colleagues do in service of the Church.
Mention of the topic of immigration in mixed groups can quickly raise the temperature in a room. Though we are a couple months past our recent national election, as a new state legislature convenes and our nation’s executive administration changes hands, we can expect that the focus on immigration and the various proposals to rectify the current unhappy state of affairs in our country will increase in intensity and attending controversy. As with other potentially volatile issues, any premium placed on reasoned argument and candid engagement with persons who have different views and priorities can quickly go out the window as discussion turns into heated debate that can quickly harden hearts and make ears go stone deaf. This dynamic can surface not simply between different partisan or special interest groups; it is present within our Church and many of our families.
When it comes to immigration, Catholic faith consults the Scriptures such as John’s First Letter 4:20: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’, but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” We also look to the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching for insight and guidance; learn more at usccb.org/committees/migration.
But on a human level, the striving for unity and concord even among fellow Catholic Christians when it comes to the competing goods involved in migration matters is not primarily a matter of rational deduction from principles. Our faith, our fears, our family ties and other personal associations we have formed shape our attitudes and the stances we support far beyond the voting booth.
No one knows better how the challenges surrounding immigration and related issues hit home than Lori Chesser and her husband of 37 years, John. Both are members of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Student Center. In the recent November-December issue of Living City, the bimonthly magazine of the Focolare movement of spirituality, faith, and cultural affairs, the Chessers’ two-page article, “Living the Politics of Everyday Life,” details their own personal struggles given their contrasting backgrounds and views. They offer practical wisdom about how to approach one another and remain open to being transformed in the course of their attempts to love and dialogue in accord with God’s grace. I excerpt a sampling of the Chessers’ experiences and counsel:
“When a Republican guy from the South and a Democrat girl from the North meet in law school it’s no surprise that the conversation turns to politics. More surprising is that we married and continued the discussion for the next thirty-seven years.” “When Lori became active in the politics of immigration in the late ‘90s, John was supportive of her contacts and learning the inner workings of advocacy. But we had different perspectives on the best tactics and solutions, which led to some frustrating interchanges.”
“Being married means we couldn’t say ‘You’re nuts!’ and walk away. We had to dig into our own beliefs and root out inconsistences, irrational biases, and the desire to cling to what is comfortable. It not only takes time but also the ability to see ‘Jesus Forsaken’ in the inability to agree.” This mention of Christ draws from Focolare foundress Chiara Lubich’s reflection, “We saw him not only in our personal sufferings, which were never lacking, but in those of our neighbour [sic], often alone, abandoned, forgotten, in the separation between generations, between rich and poor, within the very Church at times, and later, between churches.”
The Chessers recall the tension that arose between Lori and John’s parents in the midst of Lori’s work to reform immigration law. “She felt hurt and angry when John’s parents expressed an opposing view.” It was easy to use the physical distance among them as an excuse to maintain emotional distance. With time, she recognizes the lost opportunity and appreciates more the need to place relationships before ideology--especially as John’s parents’ health weakens--and to be present on spiritual and physical levels. “It was a tough lesson, but one we try to keep in mind.”
Lori and John are bold enough to risk inviting and offering other perspectives in their marriage, and in their work in both corporate and non-profit settings such as John’s involvement in the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking, along with other parish involvements. They comment, “The value of candidly discussing an issue far exceeds the risk that we might disagree. On the flip side, we try to avoid the temptation to not state an opposing view simply because we would rather relax and watch TV instead of facing the challenges of dialogue.”
The same maxim obtains in group settings: “We also have learned never to assume a group agrees on an important decision without first talking about it. When we fail to actively encourage people to share their perspectives, we sometimes bury problems that eventually explode.”
More than anything else, the need to truly listen is paramount: “This means listening for understanding, not just for a break to make our next great point. However, it is important to understand the person speaking as much as the point being made. Sometimes a discussion seems to be going nowhere on a rational level builds a new relationship based on trust because we listen attentively to the end. When people feel loved and respected, they put people above ideas and become more objective about opinions. And when trust is built, obstacles that seemed insurmountable at first start to seem manageable.” And when this happens, if I may speak for the vocally gifted Lori, that is music to her and everyone else’s ears.
Thanks to St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Student Center at Drake University, there are two upcoming opportunities to listen, engage, and—hopefully—dialogue with others in a way that dispels misconceptions, builds trust, and maybe even transforms minds and attitudes with regard to immigration policy in our country. The first occurs on Sunday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. at the Diocese’s Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand Ave. A panel discussion will address, “The Current State of Immigration in Iowa,” and will feature Lori Chesser; Yer Vang (Director of Immigration Legal Services, Archdiocese of Dubuque); and representatives of Catholic Charities, Lutheran Services of Iowa, and the Iowa Movement for Migrant Justice.
The second opportunity is the inaugural event in the St. Catherine of Siena Dialogue Series. Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, will speak on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m. at Sheslow Auditorium on the campus of Drake University. His session is entitled, “Broken at the Border.” As the event preview relates, “Having spent years walking with immigrants, working with Texas elected officials, and conversing with border agents, [Bishop Seitz] will share his perspective on a topic that many Americans view as critically important to the future of our country.”
I hope you will consider taking part in these events, and, if you do so, will be open and pray to the Holy Spirit for the gifts of understanding, counsel, and the fortitude to be vulnerable and honest, to be steadfast when necessary, and yet be humble enough to let the dialogue transform our view of our world, our country, our neighbors, our Church. For in this Jubilee Year when we are to be pilgrims of hope, thanks to the Chessers we draw from the insight of Chiara Lubich who redefines politics as the “love of all loves.” Surely, the experience of genuine dialogue is itself an act of fraternal charity that itself sows hope, and helps cultivate connections in Christ right here in our own backyard.
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Finally, we offer a bouquet of gratitude and praise to God for one of my predecessors, Bishop Emeritus Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S., who will celebrate his 35th anniversary of episcopal ordination on Jan. 25, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Bishop Charron originally served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis before being called to become the eighth Bishop of Des Moines from 1994-2007. He continues to offer his presence and prayers as a conduit of grace for our Diocese, and I am personally grateful for his spiritual accompaniment and counsel.
If you’d like to send Bishop Charron a congratulatory card or email, you may do so at: Most Reverend Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S., Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309 or by email at jcharron@dmdiocese.org.