The Catholic Diocese of San Diego has launched an outreach ministry supporting migrants navigating immigration proceedings, and it has become a model for religious organizations across the country.
The ministry is called FAITH — an acronym for Faithful Accompaniment in Trust and Hope — and has grown to a community of more than 700 people who provide emotional and spiritual support for migrants and their families.
Bishop Michael Pham said the idea came after the diocese's first visit to the federal courthouse in June 2025, when he and other religious leaders joined community members accompanying migrants at their immigration hearings.
"They walk with the people, seeing the people who are in need, and this is an incredible faith living out in action," Bishop Pham said.
Since then, Bishop Pham and other priests have reached out to those held at detention centers in Calexico and Otay Mesa, celebrating Mass and strengthening the faith of those detained.
"They have their own difficult times, and they don't know what their future is going to be, and they place their faith in God," Bishop Pham said.
The ministry works alongside the Pope Francis Center, run by Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The center provides families with legal advice and a safe space as they navigate their situations.
Brinkley Johnson, the founding manager of the center, said migrants are experiencing significant fear and stress.
"The most common things we're hearing is that people are really stressed and afraid. They feel like they're being surveilled, that they're being followed. And they're really worried about doing the most basic human things like to go to the grocery store, go to church if they have a loved one who's detained," Johnson said.
The ministry's reach has extended well beyond San Diego, with many religious organizations across the country creating their own versions of this type of outreach.
"It's just an incredible movement that we have started, and it has made a difference in people's lives," Bishop Pham said.
In honor of World Day of Migrants and Refugees, members of the ministry and other religious leaders will gather at Balboa Park on Sunday for a procession beginning at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Event details can be found here. World Day of Migrants and Refugees: All Are Sacred (New Venue) - Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
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