From Our Minister: You are Welcome Here
You might notice some unwelcoming signs sprouting up around the church. Don’t worry – it’s not you.
In response to aggressive actions by ICE in the Palatine area, many churches, CCUU included, are creating very clear signage stipulating that ICE is not permitted to enter our premises without a signed Judicial Warrant.
We shouldn’t have to do this. Houses of Worship have been places of sanctuary for thousands of years, but the current administration chooses to ignore customs, precedents, and common decency in order for their masked secret police to collect quotas of brown people. It is unethical, inhumane, and against all of our Unitarian Universalist values.
Fathers, mothers, grandparents, business owners, people who have lived and contributed to this community for decades are being rounded up and disappeared. Some sent out of the country without due process. Some sent back to the dangerous situations from which they originally escaped.
Most Americans do not support this initiative even as we’ve wanted clear, sane and reasonable immigration policies. Sane and reasonable.
We are not hiding undocumented people in our church. But if any of our members or their families happen to be attending something here, we will not give them up without a signed Judicial warrant with their particular names on it.
CCUU has been collecting food for families in desperate situations because of the ‘Mid-way Blitz.’ We are transitioning from sending staples to North Shore Unitarian Church for distribution to collecting supplies for our partner organization Partners for Our Communities (POC). They have both a food pantry and mobile food pantries to take food to people afraid to leave their homes. They have asked for assorted canned products but mostly for $10 grocery gift cards that they can hand out when the food supplies run out. If you have been blessed with enough, as you do your holiday shopping, pick up a few $10 grocery gift cards – or more than a few – and drop them at the CCUU office. We’ll make sure they find their way to the folks who need them.
Thank you for your kindness, compassion, generosity, and love.
Everyone with an open heart is welcome here.
~ Rev. Pam
