(RNS) — Shortly after the Rev. Paul Joseph Keller, two fellow Catholic priests and a nun were ushered into the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility outside Chicago on Thursday (April 2), a guard escorted five immigrant detainees to a space on the other side of a half-door. All were bound with shackles, Keller said. When he asked the guard, who was employed by a private company, if the shackles were necessary, the official apologized, explaining it was the result of being short-staffed.
Keller and his colleagues then looked into the eyes of the detainees — some of which, he said, welled with tears — and did what they came to do: lead a brief, 15-minute Holy Thursday service, complete with prayers, Scripture readings and a reflection. As they concluded, one priest was allowed past the door, where he washed the immigrants’ feet, an ancient Christian ritual.
Speaking to Religion News Service later that day, Keller said the experience of leading the service, which was repeated three times during their visit for a total of 14 detainees, was difficult. But he hopes “seeing the presence of Christ in the prisoner and the stranger” will have an impact not only on those they worshipped with, but also “the people who can witness to it.”
“This is what Jesus has called us to do,” said Keller, a missionary priest.
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