This prayer was offered by the Very Rev. Thomas P. Greene, SJ, provincial, during a prayer service outside of a federal immigration detention facility in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, on March 7, 2026.
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God of the journey, God who walked with Abraham and Sarah,
God who over the centuries has guided your people through deserts and across borders,
we stand before you this day carrying the lives of so many in our hearts,
especially detained brothers and sisters across our country.
We pray first for men and women who, at this very moment,
are making the decision to seek a better life or a safer life for themselves and their families—
those rising before dawn to leave their village, their land, their parents,
their spouse, their children, their dreams.
Bless them as they feel the weight of departure,
Bless those carry both hope and heartbreak as they leave home, and
Walk beside them on roads they never wished to walk alone.
We pray for migrants who set out in fear—
fear of hunger, fear of violence, fear of losing everything,
yet daring to move because staying has become even more dangerous.
Strengthen their steps.
Protect their dignity.
Keep them safe from harm.
We pray, too, for the hard hearts they may encounter: the coyotes, gangs, and criminals
who today are waking up thinking about beating, extorting, or assaulting an immigrant—
whose power is misused,
whose humanity has been distorted.
God, convert their hearts.
Disarm their anger.
Interrupt their violence before it begins,
and restore in them the compassion that has been buried.
We pray for the civil authorities who extort,
who abuse their authority,
who forget that every migrant is a human being worthy of dignity and respect.
Let accountability rise where corruption has taken root.
Let justice take the place of fear.
We pray for all those who work honestly in law enforcement,
who labor to keep our communities and country safe,
and those charged with arresting or detaining migrants.
Grant them fairness, restraint, and wisdom.
Help them to see migrants not as “targets” and “quotas,”
but human beings with names and stories and families just like theirs.
We pray for the judges and decision‑makers
whose rulings shape the futures of migrants and families seeking refuge.
Give them clarity of mind, compassion of heart,
and a deep reverence for the gravity of their decisions.
We pray for our lawmakers and elected officials.
Give them courage and wisdom to enact laws that reunite families,
protect those fleeing violence, and which recognize the value of hard work
and the contributions immigrants make to our economy.
And finally, we pray for all of us gathered here—
that our hearts may be enlarged,
our voices courageous,
and our actions aligned with the mercy of the Gospel.
Let us stand with those who stand alone,
speak for those who cannot speak,
and accompany those whose path is heavy.
Almighty, ever-living, and ever-loving God,
bless our immigrant brothers and sisters,
and make us instruments of your peace, your protection, and your justice.
Amen.
Featured Photo: People attended a prayer vigil March 7, 2026, near the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center in Ste. Genevieve. The vigil was held in solidarity with people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and held at the facility. St. Louis Review photo by Jacob Wiegand.
