Bill supported by Hispanic community fails to get hearing, but civic engagement still matters

(En Espanol)
 

By Felix Navarrete

Nearly 200 people visited Indianapolis on Jan. 16 to meet with senators and representatives at the Indiana Statehouse during a day of civic engagement to advocate for Senate Bill 138, which would allow “an individual who is an Indiana resident and cannot provide proof of identity and lawful status in the United States [to] apply for a driving privilege card.” If approved, the bill would benefit thousands of Hispanic families in Indiana.

While a similar bill advanced out of a Senate committee last year for the first time, the bill failed to get a hearing this year. (See related story)

But participation by those who showed up that day was still important.

Despite low temperatures and weather alerts recommending caution due to icy roads, families from throughout the state met that morning at St. John the Evangelist Church in downtown Indianapolis. There, groups from the archdiocese and the dioceses of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Lafayette and Evansville gathered to pray before heading to the Statehouse.

Jesusa Rivera, a social justice leader in Indiana, has worked hard for equity in working conditions for Hispanic farm workers. She helped ensure that this visit to legislators took place. Not only did leaders of parish ministries participate, but also entire families who have been directly or indirectly affected by not having a driver’s license due to their immigration status attended as well.

Although immigration issues were brought to the table during the January discussion, the Hispanic group is pursuing a concern for public safety, and it is the main reason that has moved the archdiocesan Hispanic Ministry to support this initiative.

Participants had the opportunity to engage in conversations not only with several of the senators, but also with Secretary of State Diego Morales, who encouraged them to continue joining forces and to be persistent. The group also heard from Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who agreed to listen to the questions from the visitors and, as a sign of solidarity, agreed to study the proposed Senate bill.

The archdiocese, Indiana’s other dioceses and the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) have all played crucial roles in this initiative.

“It was beautiful to see so many engaged leaders! It was an honor to accompany all of you,” said Alexander Mingus, associate director of the ICC.

The accompaniment of these leaders echoes the words of Pope Benedict XVI in “Deus Caritas Est” (“God is Love”) that describe the “inseparable relationship between love of God and love of neighbor” (#16), and in his encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”): “Love—caritas—is an extraordinary force that moves people to commit themselves with courage and generosity in the field of justice and peace” (#1).

The words of Pope Benedict reflect the courage and willingness of many people who, regardless of their fears and their limitations, are acting with the conviction that a force greater than they—the Holy Spirit—is accompanying them.

As missionary disciples, we offer this invitation to bring charity on our journey of embracing the social doctrine of the Church. Social justice today is a pastoral priority—not as a deliberate action of claiming rights and opportunities, but as a fruit that is born from the love toward God and is complemented by the truth.
 

(Felix Navarrete is archdiocesan coordinator of Hispanic Ministry.) †