Saturday Prayer Vigil to Call for National Immigration Renewal and Action

Bradenton – A coalition of local groups and advocates will convene at Our Lady of the Angels Memorial Garden to hold a prayer vigil calling for comprehensive and  humane immigration reform on Saturday, February 26 at 2:00 pm as part of a nation-wide event coordinated by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition. The memorial garden is located at 12905 State Road 70 East in Bradenton.

This marks the sixth annual vigil in Manatee County to call for action on immigration reform and  is sponsored by Our Lady of the Angel’s Peace and Justice Committee in collaboration with the Sarasota-Manatee Farmworker Supporters, UnidosNow.org, Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church, Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), and Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER).

The program’s speakers will include attorney and community leader Jim Delgado, former State Representative Mark Flanagan, Chair of the Sarasota Manatee Farmworker Supporters Marvin Mills, Chair of UnidosNow.org C.J. Czaia, Pastor Andy Avalos of Iglesia El Crucero, Dr. Carol Ann Breyer of Pax Christi, Dr. Janice Novello of Outreach Ministries, Edwin Enciso of For Progress, and Luz Corcuera, Barbara Mills and Heidi Williams with the Peace and Justice Committee of Our Lady of the Angels.

This year the vigil will be dedicated to a beloved, long-time champion of humane comprehensive immigration reform, Sr. Nora Brick, who has played an integral role in the local community over the last 30 years and who recently had to return to her mother house in New Jersey due to health reasons.

The coalition aims to promote the idea that diverse faith traditions teach  people to welcome brothers and sisters from around the globe with love and compassion; they are calling on friends, neighbors, faith and community leaders, and elected officials to restore dignity and respect to all  families and communities through just immigration reform.