Notre Dame theologian urges Catholics to see the body of Christ in migrants

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (OSV News) — The first thing Holy Cross Father Daniel G. Groody, a theologian, had to figure out was, “Is there a theology of migration?” So he started with Scripture.

There he found a pilgrimage story about the calling of Abraham, the exile and return, and the refugee status of the Holy Family.

But the most striking discovery he shared with about 200 people gathered at the Co-Cathedral of St. Matthew in South Bend on Sept. 4 was this: God so loved the world that he left his heavenly homeland and migrated to become one of us. He gave his life so that we, in turn, could complete our pilgrimage to our eternal homeland.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend introduced Father Groody, a professor of theology and global affairs at the University of Notre Dame and an internationally known authority on refugees and migration. Dan Florin, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, an agency long active in refugee resettlement, closed the session.

University of Notre Dame Father Dan Groody, vice president and professor of theology and global affairs, speaks during a lecture about his book, “A Theology of Migration,” at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend, Indiana, Sept. 4, 2024. The event was hosted by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. (OSV News photo/Scott Warden, courtesy of Today’s Catholic)

In his address, Bishop Rhoades told a story about visiting a shelter in the Gaza Strip where a paralyzed child crawled into his lap and refused to let go. The story came in response to a question from Carolyn Woo, former CEO of Catholic Relief Services, about the difficulty of leaving a place of intense suffering to return home to a comfortable life.

Father Groody’s latest book is “A Theology of Migration: The Bodies of Refugees and the Body of Christ” (Orbis, 2022), with a foreword by Pope Francis. Father Groody has also been a filmmaker and an advisor to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Vatican, and the United Nations.

At Notre Dame, he is vice president and associate provost for undergraduate programs, professor, and board member.

After some initial challenges with his microphone, Father Groody shared a humorous experience. He once told his congregation, “There’s something wrong with my microphone,” and was told, “And your spirit.”

He also described an early experience he had as a young priest when he took a pregnant young parishioner to the hospital because her mother’s car wouldn’t start. He compared immigration to the process of giving birth, pointing out that migration is part of humanity’s DNA.

Father Groody loosely structured his talk around elements of the Mass: the introduction, the Liturgy of the Word, the Eucharist, and the sending out on mission.

He began by sharing statistics that provide a snapshot of what’s happening with migration today: 281 million people have been away from their home countries for over a year, the highest number in human history, at a rate of 24 people every minute. The numbers are even more staggering when those displaced within their own countries are included. But behind these numbers are the faces and stories of vulnerable individuals.

The issue is simultaneously very complex and very simple. By spending time with a variety of groups, from vigilantes to church leaders, Father Groody has been able to identify competing rights that are all part of the picture: property rights, national rights, cultural rights, economic rights, natural rights, and human rights.

There are different political positions, Father Groody said: closure and protection, creating a porous border that welcomes guest workers, and advocating for legalization or even open borders. The story told about migration and the terms used to tell it matter, he said. Are these people “foreigners,” “illegals” or “undocumented,” workers or people created in God’s image? How do we understand the “other” in relation to ourselves: objects of fear, usefulness or essential connection?

In structuring his address around the elements of the Mass, he noted that in the liturgy of the Eucharist the faithful encounter the image of God, which bridges the gap between “non-human” and human; the Word of God, which bridges the gap between divine and human; the mission of God, which bridges the gap between human and human by rejecting rejection; the vision of God, which bridges the gap between nations and kingdoms; and the imitation of God, which bridges the gap between life and death.

After the presentation, one of the interviewers, who identified himself as an immigrant, asked about the final phase—mission or deployment: “What are best practices? Where do we go from here?”

Father Groody chose to leave that question in the hearts of his listeners.