Migration Office Milestones

1971     In response to the Papal Instruction Pastoralis Migratorum Cura, written by His Holiness Pope Paul VI in 1969, the Diocese of Brooklyn establishes the Catholic Migration and Refugee Office to serve the needs of immigrants and refugees living within its boundaries. Rev. Msgr. Anthony J. Bevilacqua is appointed its first director, and Rev. Nicholas Russo the assistant director.

Archbishop Emmanuele Clarizio, then President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People at the Vatican, informs Msgr. Bevilacqua that the Brooklyn Diocese is the first in the world to respond in such a concrete way to the recommendations contained in Pope Paul VI's Instruction.

The primary function of the Catholic Migration Office is to attend to the spiritual welfare of the immigrant population of the Diocese. The ability to worship in one's own language and the foundation of a diocesan ministry to newcomers is established as the agency's primary goals.

A small storefront becomes the first Migration Office service center, along with an administrative office at the diocesan Chancery.

The "Apostleship of the Sea" and the "Diocesan Institute of Languages" are placed under the jurisdiction of the Migration Office. 

The office invests its first year into the assessment of the Diocese's multi-ethnic population and determines the future direction of services.

1972   First Apostolates form composed of the largest ethnic groups in the Diocese: Italian, Haitian, Polish, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.   

Legal needs of immigrants are recognized as needing special emphasis.  Staff forms comprising an attorney and immigration paralegals.   Small storefronts open around the Diocese as Catholic Migration Office field service centers.

1973-1978   Numbers of new immigrant groups moving into the Diocese grow steadily. 

Fundraising becomes a more serious need due to an increased demand for services.

By 1978 over half of the parishes in the Diocese provide services in languages other than English.

Pastoral needs of immigrants are given more attention.

The Office becomes more involved in the advocacy of immigration law reform and an effort is made to unite various community ethnic organizations to lobby on behalf of immigrants.  Key issues are political asylum, family reunification, and employment practices.

1979    The Catholic Migration Office now has five field offices in both Brooklyn and Queens.

A program to teach English as a Second Language to adult immigrants begins and ten schools are opened.  Hundreds of immigrants enroll each semester.

The Diocesan Institute of Languages starts to teach Haitian Creole along with Spanish and Italian.   Priests and religious from other dioceses are accepted into the programs.

The agency begins to outreach to new immigrant groups. Our reputation grows in the eyes of many grassroots immigrant communities and among undocumented immigrants.

1980   Msgr. Bevilacqua is named Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn and maintains the position of director at the Migration Office.   Rev. Peter Zendzian becomes assistant director of the Office.

1981     Rev. Ronald T. Marino is named assistant director and is assigned to fundraising duties. The "St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Award" Dinner is established to raise funds for the agency. The first "Cabrini Award" is given to Most Rev. Francis J. Mugavero, Bishop of Brooklyn, at whose direction the agency was founded.

1983    Bishop Bevilacqua is named Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  Bishop Rene A. Valero, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, is named director of the Catholic Migration Office.

1983-1991    A major reorganization of the agency is undertaken. 

As it becomes more difficult to raise funds, the demand for services increases dramatically. The five field offices are consolidated into two: one for each borough of the Diocese. The Diocesan Institute of Languages becomes an independent operation.  Refugee resettlement is transferred to Catholic Charities.  An Apostolate for Irish immigrants is established.

The Spanish Apostolate is made an independent office and called the "Hispanic Ministry Office."  Rev. John Brogan is named its first director.

85% of the parishes in the Diocese now use languages other than English in their ministry. Sunday Mass is celebrated in over 18 different languages.  English courses for adult immigrants take place in over 30 centers throughout the Diocese. Over 1,000 legal cases open in a single year.

1990     Most Rev. Thomas V. Daily is named Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

1991    Bishop Valero is named Regional Bishop of Queens North.  Rev. Ronald T. Marino is appointed director of the Catholic Migration Office.

1991-1994    Annual budget now approaches $1,000,000.  Fundraising efforts become more difficult and the agency consolidates into one large center at Bay Ridge in Brooklyn.

Three departments are created: Legal Services, Educational Services, and Pastoral Services.

The legal staff consists of four attorneys and 13 paralegals.  Agency accepts over 2,000 new legal cases per year. 

The Educational Services Department administers the American citizenship exam as well as offering test preparation.

English school enrollment exceeds 2,000. Literacy programs and three new levels of English courses are introduced to immigrants.

Pastoral Services becomes responsible for the coordination of the Apostolates and develops leadership training, marriage preparation and cultural programs.

Bishop Daily creates twelve new official Diocesan Apostolates: Croatian, Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, West Indian, Romanian, Knanaya Indian, Indonesian, Filipino, Brazilian, Nigerian, and Russian.

A special outreach program is created for the borough of Queens.  A team from each Department is dispatched to visit parishes in Queens, one week at a time, serving people of the area and working with clergy.

1994-2000   RESOURCES, INC. is created in 1994 as a response to sweatshop labor and provides occupational training and dignified employment to immigrants.

RESOURCES initially consisted of three programs: Commercial Cleaning, Computer Graphics, and Culinary Arts. These programs train and prepare immigrants for employment. Commercial Cleaning and Computer Graphics established their own small businesses, with the aim of hiring graduates as full-time employees. Graduates are also referred to outside companies for employment.

RESOURCES operates without any government or diocesan funds and is dependent on donations, tuition payments and RESOURCES company income.

"The Immigrant Cross," a graphic produced by Computer Graphics, is chosen as the backdrop of the Sanctuary at the Mass celebrated by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II during his 1995 visit to the Brooklyn Diocese.

RESOURCES is recognized by foundations and wins prestigious awards for innovation and creativity, in excess of $750,000 in its first four years alone.

RESOURCES programs are featured in many articles and research papers about "entrepreneurship."

In six short years, RESOURCES trains and finds employment for over 600 immigrants.

2001  The Diocese of Brooklyn celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Catholic Migration Office with a special Mass at St. James Cathedral-Basilica. The main celebrant His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Catholic Migration Office's first director, Bishop Rene A. Valero, the second director, and Bishop Thomas V. Daily, Bishop of Brooklyn, along with bishops and priests from all over the world joyfully celebrate this remarkable milestone.

Present  To meet the legal needs of immigrants of the Diocese an additional Office is opened in the borough of Queens.

The Catholic Migration Office and Resources represents the Church's ministry to newcomers in its most concrete form. We believe that in doing our daily work, we are actually welcoming Christ who presents Himself in the heart of the stranger.