Passionist reflection for the Triduum 2025

Photo by Alicia Quan on Unsplash

The Passionist Provincial, Fr Jim O'Shea writes:

Dear Brothers, Associates and Colleagues,

This past Sunday, the New York Times featured an article by Andrew Thayer that described the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as a protest, not a procession.

Jesus entered the city not on a warhorse but on a donkey, not with battalions but with beggars. His followers were peasants, fishermen, women and children - people without standing or status. They waved palm branches - symbols of Jewish resistance to occupation since the Maccabean revolt - and cried 'Hosanna!' which means "Save us." Save us from a system of oppression disguised as order.

As we travel this Holy Week, we do so in a world that suffers under the weight of so much intentional oppression and injustice. We see this so tragically in the escalation of the cruel and capricious treatment of the migrant community in the United States.

Our new configuration (Canada, Mexico, the United States and Caribbean) issued a letter this past February standing in solidarity with the migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who have come to the United States. I asked our ministries and communities to share the statement and to consider actions of justice and faith that they might take in communion with the migrants. I am inspired by what I received and am proud to share some of the feedback from our Passionist missions.

St Ann's Community, Scranton
• Community discussion of the configuration letter.
• Co-sponsored a prayer vigil at Scranton's Courthouse Square,

Downtown Scranton.
• Rector wrote powerful letter to local congressional leader calling for Christian justice and compassion for migrants and other vulnerable populations.

Holy Family Retreat, Hartford
• Publication of the Configuration letter to entire virtual community counting in the thousands.
• Receiving and directly engaging feedback - most positive but some very critical of our solidarity with the migrants.
• Developing programs specific to the issues of Justice and Dignity.

Immaculate Conception Parish, Jamaica, NY.
• Read letter at all Masses and engaged with parishioners.
• Sponsoring a 'Know your Rights' workshop for migrants.
• Parish Council engagement, actively supporting local migrants with direct services.
• Engaging local pastors and the bishop on strategic response to defend the people.
• Financial assistance to migrant families in distress.

Thomas Berry Place, New York
• Distribution of the letter to all visitors of the center and engaging feedback.
• Publication of letter on website and social media.
• Welcoming nine refugees and asylum seekers to live at the center.
• Employment training and language classes for migrants over the past year.

St Paul's Monastery, Pittsburgh
• A one page insert in the bulletin printing the letter for all mass attendees.
• The letter read at all weekend Masses and the novena services on Monday.
• Intention to schedule a collection for migrants.
• Intention to place a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the church to indicate our welcoming of migrants.

St Paul of the Cross Retreat, Pittsburgh
• Publication and distribution of the letter at the center and virtually.
• Intention to make new efforts to reach out to Hispanic populations and to migrants to offer welcome and hospitality.

St Gabriel Parish, Toronto
• Distribution and proclamation of the configuration letter and engaging dialogue with community.
• Strengthening the parish direct engagement with refugee families.

Our Lady of Florida Retreat
• Publication of the configuration's letter through the center's website and contact list and engaging much feedback.
• Reading the letter at the daily mass.
• Most feedback was positive and supportive of the migrants.
• Threats by some to cease donations due to our solidarity with the migrant community and Pope Francis.

St Ann Church, Clayton, North Carolina
• Actively assisting migrants who are fearful of the current efforts to deportation.
• Launching a program to have a certified immigration advocate on-site to assist migrants with urgent needs and information.
• Parishioners opening 'safe houses' for migrants who are under threat or facing government oppression.

As an additional action in communion with our migrants, and as we enter this sacred Triduum, I would ask that we stand united in prayer with Kilmar Armando Abrego. This is a young father of three special needs children, who was erroneously deported to the notorious El Salvadoran prison, CECOT, known for its cruelty and lawlessness towards inmates. Kilmar was falsely accused of being a gang member and, without any due process, was simply swept away. Compounding the evil, the president of the United States and the President of El Salvador publicly washed their hands of any responsibility to return him to his family. Their conspiracy of indifferent hatred is without bounds. So let us pray for Kilmar and the thousands in CECOT.

Many of these human beings were never afforded due process and suffer innocently, perhaps for a lifetime, with no one seeming to care. I have no doubt that this holy week, the Crucified Christ is found at that prison, head shaven, bare to the waist in prison shorts and shackled to thousands of other tattooed young men. He remains there joining in their cries of abandonment. May this Triduum fill us a righteous commitment to hear the cries of the poor, and to act on behalf of the vision of the Crucified and Risen Christ - the Reign of God!

A holy Easter!

In JXP,
Father James O'Shea, CP
Provincial