VIA Immigration & Refugee Task Force

What is the role of the VIA Immigration & Refugee Task Force?
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The VIA immigration & Refugee Ministry is designed to facilitate pastoral care, education, public policy advocacy and spiritual growth for all members of our diocese.  Furthermore, our diocese and our parishes are fortunate to share a very strong network of external community partners in the areas of immigration and refugee services.  

​The VIA Immigration & Refugee Task Force is specifically charged with providing: 
  • Clear, concise, comprehensive and actionable information to the members of our diocese in general, and to the members of affected parishes specifically, when critical immigration and refugee-related issues arise.
  • Thorough and timely consultation to our diocesan leadership in the areas of immigration and refugee-related concerns in order to continually improve the quality and relevance of the VIA ministry.
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In its simplest form, the task force will serve as a common resource for all of our parishes to ensure the dissemination of the most accurate, most timely and most beneficial information.  The task force will also assist with referrals between parishes when a common need is known to exist or if more than one parish is known to be working on a single issue.   
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VIA Immigration & Refugee Task Force Members
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 ​Chancery
  • Fr. Charles Rowe, S.T.D., Vicar General of Pastoral Affairs
  • Raiza Guevara, Program Mgr., VIA Immigration & Refugee; guevara@diocesekcsj.org; 816.756.1850 (x241)
  • Miguel Salazar, Director of Hispanic Ministry Office; msalazar@diocesekcsj.org ;  816.756.1850 (x241)
  • Bill Francis, Director of Human Rights Office; francis@diocesekcsj.org; 816.756.1850 (x544)
  • Jack Smith, Director of Communications Office; jsmith@diocesekcsk.org; 816.756.1850 
Local Parishes & Catholic Organizations
  •  Fr. Jeff Stephan; Pastor, St. Sabina Parish, Belton 
  •  Hilda Beck; Missions Director, St. Mark Parish, Independence​
  • Jarrod Sanderson, Executive Director, Senior Housing, Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph
  • Fr. Gianantonio Baggio, CS; Director, Office of Hispanic Ministry, Archdiocese of Kansas City in KS
Community Partners
  • Ronald Nguyen, J.D.; Attorney & Parishioner, St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City
  • Dave Howery, LCSW; Executive Director, InterServ of St. Joseph
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What should I do if I have questions, concerns, comments or ideas for the VIA Immigration & Refugee Task Force?
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Please contact a member of the Human Rights Office or the Hispanic Ministry Office listed above with any concerns you have or any issues that impact you or your parish/organization.    

Pastoral Care

Educational Topics

Resources & Referrals

"The Church supports the human rights of all people and offers them pastoral care, education, and social services, no matter what the circumstances of entry into this country, and it works for the respect of the human dignity of all, especially those who find themselves in desperate circumstances."                                                                                                                    
​                                                                                                                               Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

Human Rights Office ~ Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph  ~ 20 West Ninth Street ~ Kansas City, MO 64105 ~ ​(816) 756-1850 (x 521) ~ tmolina@diocesekcsj.org