Sacramento Bishop backs San Bernardino diocese in urging immigrants to skip Mass amid ICE fears
The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento announced Wednesday that it is standing in solidarity with the San Bernardino diocese, whose bishop said in a letter to parishioners that they can skip Sunday Mass over fears that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids could lead to arrests on church grounds.
John Andrews is the vice chancellor of the San Bernardino diocese and said that last month after several arrests on church grounds, including one case in which a parishioner was arrested while doing landscaping work there.
"This man was a long-time parishioner of our Lady of Lourdes, the whole family involved in the church, good family, hard working, not the kind of people that have been characterized as being the priority of this kind of immigration enforcement," Andrews said.
Andrews said he believes half of the diocese's Spanish-speaking population has stopped attending Mass.
Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto issued a statement in response to the decree.
"The hearts and prayers of the Catholic community in the Diocese of Sacramento stand with our brothers and sisters in Southern California who are being unfairly harassed by the intimidating, disruptive raids employed by federal agents," Soto said.
Jose Vargas is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Downtown Sacramento.
"I don't have the same fear, but I can't even fathom how scared that would make people feel if you can't even go to your own place of worship," Vargas said.
In January, President Trump revoked a Biden-era policy that prevented arrests at houses of worship.
CBS13 did reach out to ICE for comment on Bishop Rojas' decree. They did not immediately respond.
