San Bernardino Diocese Bishop Alberto Rojas has issued a decree exempting the obligation for faithful Catholics in the diocese from attending weekly Sunday Mass, amid growing immigration activity in the region.
“All members of the faithful who, due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions, are unable to attend Sunday Mass or Masses on holy days of obligation are dispensed from this obligation,” the Bishop stated in a letter released Tuesday, July 8.
The sprawling San Bernardino diocese, which consists of 92 parishes and 12 missions across both San Bernardino and Riverside counties, has seen reports of immigration activity as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign targeting undocumented immigrants. Officials said that ICE agents were reported at two Catholic parishes in Montclair and Highland on June 20.
That afternoon, ICE detained multiple people in the parking lot of St. Adelaide Church, in Highland, who were neither employees of the parish nor parishioners, said John Andrews, director of communications for the Diocese of San Bernardino. Agents also took one male parishioner into custody at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair the same day, Andrews said.
As of Wednesday, July 9, there has been no other ICE activity at churches “that the Diocese is aware of,” Andrews said. He noted that Rojas’ decree was “definitely the first dispensation that is immigration-related.”
In his decree, Bishop Rojas cited “pastoral needs of our diocese” and “concerns expressed by many of our brothers and sisters regarding fears of attending Mass due to potential immigration enforcement actions by civil authorities.”
The decree acknowledges that this fear “constitutes a grave inconvenience that may impede the spiritual good of the faithful.” Under Catholic Canon Law, a bishop is able to excuse churchgoers from attending Sunday Masses and holy days of obligation. It allows people to be exempt from going to church and receiving holy communion until the decree is revoked or amended.
The Diocese of San Bernardino issued a similar “special dispensation” to local Catholics in March 2020, freeing them of Mass obligations as the coronavirus pandemic hit.
In the July 8 letter, Bishop Rojas — alongside Gerard M. Lopez, the Vicar General for the diocese — encouraged the faithful to practice alternative spiritual practices to “maintain their spiritual communion with Christ.” Examples include Scripture readings, personal prayer, rosary devotions, and participating in televised or livestreamed church Masses.
“In issuing this decree, I am guided by the Church’s mission to care for the spiritual welfare of all entrusted to my care, particularly those who face fear or hardship,” Rojas said. “I entrust this diocese to the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and invoke God’s blessing upon all the faithful.”
Jarryd Gonzales, a spokesperson with the Diocese of Orange, said Wednesday that there is no dispensation being offered to Orange County Catholics, but that the diocese “remains deeply committed to supporting our Catholic community during this heightened concern surrounding immigration enforcement actions.” In June, diocesan leaders issued a statement urging federal lawmakers to advance comprehensive immigration reform, while encouraging the faithful to “remain calm, faithful and peaceful in response to these challenges.”
OC priests have brought the holy communion and celebrated Mass for those in fear of leaving their homes, Gonzales said Wednesday.
In early June, as widespread immigration sweeps were first reported throughout the L.A. region, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez took part in a peaceful prayer vigil at City Hall with other faith leaders, urging protection for immigrant families and calling for an end to the raids. In a message to the faithful, Gomez echoed that fears of detention and deportation are “causing panic in our parishes and communities.” He also supported the government’s plan to deport known terrorists and violent criminals, while respecting the right to due process.
L.A. Archdiocese spokesperson Yannina Diaz said Wednesday that there has not been a formal announcement of dispensation, but L.A.-area parishes “continue to provide outreach to families and individuals who have been impacted.” The Archdiocese launched a Family Assistance Program for donations to support families experiencing economic uncertainty and hardship.
In a later statement, Bishop Rojas assured immigrant communities “that their church stands and walks with them through this trying time.” He said that immigrants who “have been in this country for years with no other issues than their legal status, have contributed to the well-being of the larger community.”
“Most of them are here because they wanted to save their families; they had no other option. I believe that they would love to be legalized, but who can help them? I know that they would be in church if not for this threat to their safety and family unity,” Rojas said. “I decided to issue a dispensation from their obligation to attend weekly Mass. With all the worry and anxiety that they are feeling I wanted to take away, for a time, the burden they may be feeling from not being able to fulfill this commitment to which our Catholic faithful are called.”
All three Southern California dioceses have issued guidance for their diverse churches and Catholic schools to be able to respond to immigration enforcement. As anxiety deepens, many parish communities offer immigration workshops, have partnered with legal and advocacy groups, and provide spiritual and pastoral support to immigrants at court hearings, home or church settings.
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, writer and editor for America Magazine, called San Bernardino’s dispensation an “extraordinary move.”
“It is a dramatic sign that not even Catholic churches are considered safe places any longer,” Martin posted on X. “Where are the voices for religious freedom now?”
The Diocese of San Bernardino offers immigration resources for communities, including “Know Your Rights” workshops and handouts, recommendations for parishes should ICE agents show up, and partnerships with immigrant-rights coalitions. For more information: www.sbdiocese.org/about/immigration.cfm.
