Catholic Charities Welcomes Nationally Recognized Immigration Advocate Sister Norma Pimentel for 4th Annual Journey to Social JusticeSymposium

Catholic Charities Welcomes Nationally Recognized Immigration Advocate Sister Norma Pimentel for 4^th Annual Journey to Social Justice Symposium

From Stranger to Neighbor: An Immigration Call to Action will explore the realities facing immigrant families and the call to welcome our new neighbors

Baltimore, MD — Catholic Charities will host its fourth annual Journey to Social Justice symposium, From Stranger to Neighbor: An Immigration Call to Action on Wednesday, October 21, featuring nationally recognized immigration advocate Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

The free event will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Church of the Nativity, 20 East Ridgely Road, Timonium, MD 21093. The evening will include a keynote presentation by Sr. Pimentel, a question-and-answer session and dessert reception.

Rooted in faith and more than three decades of service to immigrant and refugee communities, Sr. Norma Pimentel brings a firsthand perspective shaped by her ministry at the U.S.-Mexico border. She has helped lead humanitarian efforts serving families arriving at the border and has witnessed the challenges and uncertainty faced by those seeking safety and a better future. A leading voice for migrants and refugees, Sr. Pimentel has become widely recognized for her commitment to serving families with compassion. During the symposium, she will share insight into the realities facing immigrant families today and invite attendees to listen to their experiences and consider how we can respond as a community.

Her work has earned national recognition, including being named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year in 2020. She also received the Hispanic Heritage Award for Service and, in 2023, was among the inaugural recipients of the Civic Renewal Award.

“Every family carries a story of hope and resilience,” said Sr. Norma Pimentel. “When we take the time to encounter one another and hear those stories, we begin to see that the distance between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is not as great as we may think. We discover our shared humanity, and the responsibility we have to build communities where every person is seen and welcomed.”

For Catholic Charities, welcoming immigrant neighbors is part of its longstanding mission to accompany individuals and families as they work toward stability and a fuller life. Through Esperanza Center, Catholic Charities provides immigration legal services, medical and dental care, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, educational and community workshops, social services and other supports. In the past year, Esperanza’s Immigration Legal Services Program provided critical legal assistance to 1,209 clients, while its medical clinic served more than 1,300 patients.

“Every day, we see what happens when a family can access a doctor, a lawyer, a trusted advocate or simply someone who will listen,” said Dave Kinkopf, executive director of Catholic Charities. “For immigrant families, those connections can be the difference between facing a challenge alone and knowing there is someone standing with you. That is at the heart of Journey to Social Justice: creating space to hear these stories, deepen our understanding and consider how we can be better neighbors to one another.”

Symposium registration is free and open to the public: Journey to Social Justice-From Stranger to Neighbor: An Immigration Call to Action Tickets.

About Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities is Maryland’s largest private provider of human services, with more than 80 programs in 200 locations. Today, Catholic Charities is a family of more than 1,700 talented and dedicated colleagues, supported by 4,000+ selfless volunteers, and more than 10,000 generous donors. This Catholic Charities community includes people of all faiths, ages, and ethnicities, and together, they touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals and families each year. www.cc-md.org.