Local Immigration Rights Concern: Prayer Pilgrimage and Vigil for Bernard Pastor

[Mary Kay]

[Sorry this is coming too late for you to announce at church. Please
distribute by email to your members who might be interested and able
to support this event. -- Mary Kay]

Greetings Cincinnati Friends:

Fifty five years ago tomorrow, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery,
Alabama. When someone as committed and upstanding as Rosa Parks was
arrested, the community rose up and boycotted buses for over a year.
Their actions changed laws and inspired a movement and a nation.

Two weeks ago today, police in Butler County, OH arrested Bernard
Pastor, an 18-year old undocumented student who has been in the USA
since the age of 3. He is currently being held in a jail cell in Mt.
Gilead, OH awaiting deportation as soon as next week.

Bernard has a lot in common with Rosa Parks: His community in Reading,
OH, including dozens of his classmates, are sacrificing time and
energy to support Bernard and to work to get him released because he
is the ideal friend. He finished fifth in his high school class,
starred on the soccer team, and led his teammates in the Star Spangled
Banner before every soccer match. He also is a youth minister and
worship leader at his father's church. While he is not the only great
young person facing deportation, he is one whose story we know. The
question is: will we be passive and do nothing, or will we act like
those faithful folks of Montgomery did 55 years ago?

We are asking you to join us THIS SATURDAY at the Reading High School
athletic fields (1600 West St. Cincinnati, OH 45215) at 11 AM for a
time of storytelling and prayer. We will then go on pilgrimage to
Butler County Jail, where Bernard was first held after his arrest, and
will conduct a peaceful prayer vigil. The event will conclude by 1:15.

Bernard's classmates are asking you to prayerfully consider
participating on Saturday, to show your support on Saturday by:

1) Attending the Prayer Pilgrimage for Bernard. Bernard Needs Your
Presence and Your Voice.

2) If you are clergy member, we need many of you to offer prayers for
Bernard when we arrive at the Jail area in Butler County. If you are
willing to pray publicly for Bernard, please email me at
ttja...@yahoo.com

3) Everyone, please to go Pray for Bernard and sign in to commit
yourself to praying for Bernard and for undocumented young people at 1
PM Eastern Time on Saturday, and spread the link: prayforbernard.com,
to your networks around the country to get the nation praying for
Bernard.

Thanks for being there for Bernard!

Shalom,

Troy Jackson
Pastoral Minister, University Christian Church
Organizer, Cincinnati Faith & Justice
ttja...@yahoo.com