asylum

Sister Patricia Crowley, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, has served her own community as sub-prioress and prioress – and the greater community in leading non-profit organizations serving women, families, and people experiencing homelessness. Currently she is the board president of Bethany House of Hospitality, which shelters young women seeking asylum in the US, and recently started a position with the Religious Formation Conference’s Together program for young women religious. In recognition of her leadership in Chicago, she was awarded three honorary doctorate degrees: one from Chicago Theological Seminary (1998), a second from Elmhurst College (1998), and a third from St. Mary of the Woods College in Terre Haute, IN (2011).

How do young women seeking asylum in the United States end up at Bethany House of Hospitality – and what happens to them from there? Sister Pat Crowley shares some stories.

Immigration attorney Sister Sharlet Wagner is hopeful about changing views of immigration in the US – but there’s still a long way to go.

Sister Maxine talks with Sister Sharlet, an immigration lawyer and executive director of the Newcomer Network, an innovative program that provides immigration legal services and connects people with other essentials such as food, health care, and employment. The Network is part of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. A full transcript of this podcast is available below. 

From her immigration law clients, Sister Sharlet Wagner learned about the enduring power of faith and hope.