Dedham church’s Nativity scene protests immigration crackdown

The Nativity scene holds “the mirror as much as what’s taking place,” Father Stephen Josoma mentioned.

The Nativity scene at St. Susanna Parish, lacking the infant Jesus, with a protest signal saying “ICE was right here.” Steve Josoma

The Nativity scene at a Catholic church in Dedham is with out the infant Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, with an indication criticizing federal immigration motion as an alternative taking Jesus’s place within the manger.

“ICE was right here,” a big signal accompanying the empty manger at St. Susanna Parish mentioned. “The Holy Household is protected within the Sanctuary of our Church. In the event you see ICE, please name LUCE.”

Father Stephen Josoma advised Boston.com that it’s a church custom to make use of the Nativity scene to “maintain the mirror as much as what’s taking place, and this yr, it gave the impression to be, my God, it gave the impression to be proper there in entrance of us.”

The congregation works with resettling immigrants and migrants, Josoma mentioned, together with some they’ve welcomed to the Parish. ICE has reportedly been concentrating on church buildings within the vacation season, Josoma mentioned.

“They’ve achieved every thing that they’re presupposed to do, however their standing could possibly be in jeopardy, and a few of our individuals can be at risk being killed in the event that they did return,” Josoma mentioned. “It’s a merciless coverage, and we will do loads higher as a rustic coping with the various points that face us.”

Yearly, the parish’s Peace and Justice group, a part of Pax Christi, highlights nationwide and world points with the scene, together with gun violence and mass shootings and local weather change.

In 2018, the St. Susanna Parish attracted nationwide consideration with their Nativity scene depicting child Jesus in a cage and the smart males behind a wall, Josoma mentioned. The scene was to protest the Trump administration’s coverage to separate households on the border.

Sean Hannity, of Fox Information, mentioned on the time that Christmas was “underneath assault” in response to the Nativity scene, bringing a wave of largely adverse consideration to the small parish within the suburbs. The St. Susanna neighborhood, nonetheless, is “very supportive,” the daddy mentioned.

“It’s non secular artwork. All artwork is meant to maneuver you,” Josoma mentioned. “They hate to face that as a result of it’s the fact, so that they assault you for utilizing faith in a sacreligious approach, which I discover sort of amusing.”