CALL TO ACTION
BY BISHOP KOPACZ, JULY 13, 2025

Click to SUPPORT THE RELIGIOUS WORKER PROTECTION ACT

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

I write to you today with a deep sense of urgency regarding a matter that directly affects our clergy and religious communities—not just nationwide, but right here in our own diocese.

As many of you are aware, the Religious Worker Visa Program, which enables foreign-born priests, religious sisters and brothers, and other essential ministers to serve in the United States, is in crisis. Under the current law, the R-1 visa permits religious workers to serve in the U.S. for a maximum of five years. At the end of that time, they must return to their home country for at least one year before potentially reapplying.

Previously, many of these faithful servants were able to apply for permanent residency within that five-year window. However, due to a severe and growing backlog in immigration processing, those who apply today may wait over a decade before receiving permanent residency. As a result, an increasing number of clergy and religious are being forced to leave ministries they have faithfully served—some for years.

This reality is no longer theoretical for us. One of our own, Father Adolfo Suarez-Pasillas, was required to return to Mexico in March of this year and must remain there for at least one year before he is eligible to return. Looking ahead, two more of our priests will face the same situation in 2026 unless meaningful policy change occurs. This issue affects both priests incardinated into our diocese and those who minister here on assignment from other regions or countries.

Across the nation, parishes, schools, and Catholic institutions are already grappling with the loss of valuable ministers due to this unsustainable policy. To address this crisis, bipartisan legislation has been introduced: the Religious Worker Protection Act (RWPA) – S.1298/H.R.2672. This bill would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to extend R-1 visas for those who have applied for permanent residency, allowing them to remain in ministry while their cases are processed. Importantly, it would also retroactively apply to those who have already been forced to leave under current restrictions.

As Archbishop Timothy Broglio and Bishop Mark Seitz emphasized in their recent letter to Congress: “We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program.”

I encourage you to contact your members of Congress and ask them to support the RWPA. A personalized note describing how foreign-born clergy or religious have impacted your ministry or the life of your parish can be especially powerful. Their presence is a gift to our communities—a gift we cannot afford to lose. 

I also ask you to consider sharing this information with your parishioners and encourage them to take action in support of the Religious Worker Protection Act. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants campaign offers a simple and effective way to do this: through the link below, individuals can send a message or place a phone call to their elected officials. The phone option even provides a script for convenience. Link: USCCB/Justice for Immigrants Action Center 

Let us continue to support one another and especially those among us who, despite their vocation and generous service, are now caught in a bureaucratic impasse. May our advocacy reflect our gratitude for their ministry and our commitment to justice.

In Christ,

+Joseph R. Kopacz
Bishop of Jackson

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