[Senate Hearing 106-995]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 106-995
MOTHER TERESA RELIGIOUS WORKERS ACT
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION
of the
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
APRIL 13, 2000
__________
Serial No. J-106-76
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
72-779 WASHINGTON : 2001
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah, Chairman
STROM THURMOND, South Carolina PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania JOSEPH R. BIDEN, Jr., Delaware
JON KYL, Arizona HERBERT KOHL, Wisconsin
MIKE DeWINE, Ohio DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California
JOHN ASHCROFT, Missouri RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin
SPENCER ABRAHAM, Michigan ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey
JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York
BOB SMITH, New Hampshire
Manus Cooney, Chief Counsel and Staff Director
Bruce A. Cohen, Minority Chief Counsel
------
Subcommittee on Immigration
SPENCER ABRAHAM, Michigan, Chairman
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts
CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California
JON KYL, Arizona CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York
Lee Liberman Otis, Chief Counsel
Melody Barnes, Minority Chief Counsel
C O N T E N T S
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STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE MEMBER
Page
Abraham, Hon. Spencer, a U.S. Senator from the State of Michigan,
prepared statement............................................. 1
WITNESSES
His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, prepared
statement...................................................... 3
Rabbi Steven Weil, Young Israel of Oak Park, prepared statement.. 11
Elder Ralph W. Hardy, Jr., Member of the Quorum of the Seventy,
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prepared statement 14
APPENDIX
Proposed Legislation
Bill No. S. 2406................................................. 25
MOTHER TERESA RELIGIOUS WORKERS ACT
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THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2000
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Immigration,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:57 p.m., in
room SD-226, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Spencer
Abraham (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SPENCER ABRAHAM, A U.S. SENATOR FROM
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
Senator Abraham. Let me begin with an apology to all who
are here. We really never can tell when votes are going to be
brought before the Senate, and on a day like this which is
close to the beginning of a recess, the desire to compile as
many votes into as short a time frame as possible becomes
overriding. So we had three instead one, and consequently I
just voted the last one and raced out. The good news is that if
your name is Abraham, you get to vote first, and so in that
sense I am here quicker than maybe others would have been.
In light of the delay, I think I will dispense with making
my opening statement at this time, except to say that obviously
we are here today to consider a very important piece of
legislation, the Mother Teresa Religious Workers Act, a bill
that I have introduced and have great hopes we can pass in this
Congress to make permanent our religious worker visa programs.
[The prepared statement of Senator Abraham follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Spencer Abraham
We are here today to address the ``Mother Teresa Religious Workers
Act.'' This legislation will make permanent provisions of the
Immigration and Nationality Act that set aside 10,000 visas per year
for ``special immigrants.''
Up to 5,000 of these visas annually can be used for ministers of a
religious denomination. In addition, a related provision of the law
provides 5,000 visas per year to individuals working for religious
organizations in ``a religious vocation or occupation'' or in a
``professional capacity in a religious vocation or occupation.'' This
has allowed nuns, brothers, cantors, lay preachers, religious
instructors, religious counselors, missionaries, and other persons to
work at their vocations or occupations for religious organizations of
their affiliates.
The key component of the law will expire on September 30 of this
year unless Congress acts, and that is the focus of this hearing.
Under the law, a sponsoring organization must be a bona fide
religious organization or an affiliate of one, and must be certified or
eligible to be certified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code. Religious workers must have two years work experience to
qualify for an immigrant visa.
Prior to 1990, churches, synagogues, mosques, and their affiliated
organizations experienced significant difficulties in trying to gain
admission for a much needed minister or other individual necessary to
provide religious services to their communities. However, this
improvement in the law in 1990 was not made permanent and, as such, has
required reauthorization every two or three years, which has created
uncertainly among religious organizations.
Bishop John Cummins of Oakland has written: ``Religious workers
provide a very important pastoral function to the American communities
in which they work and live, performing activities in furtherance of a
vocation or religious occupation often possessing characteristics
unique from those found in the general labor market. Historically,
religious workers have staffed hospitals, orphanages, senior care homes
and other charitable institutions that provide benefits to society
without public funding.''
Bishop Cummins notes that ``The steady decline in native-born
Americans entering religious vocations and occupations, coupled with
the dramatically increasing need for charitable services in
impoverished communities makes the extension of this special immigrant
provision a necessity for numerous religious denominations in the
United States.''
The sentiments expressed by Bishop Cummins are widely held. Indeed
this program has won universal praise in religious communities across
the nation. In the past, our office has received letters from religious
orders and organizations throughout the nation.
As a nation founded by people who came to these shores so they and
their children could worship freely, it is only appropriate that our
country welcome those who wish to help our religious organizations
provide pastoral and other relief to people around this nation.
That is why I have introduced ``The Mother Teresa Religious Workers
Act.'' The bill will eliminate the sunset provisions in current law and
extend permanently the religious workers provisions of the Immigration
and Nationality Act. It is clear that religious organizations' ability
to sponsor individuals who provide service to their local communities
should be a permanent fixture of our immigration law, just as it is for
those petitioning for close family members and skilled workers. No
longer should religious institutions have to worry about whether
Congress will act in time to renew the religious workers provisions. I
am pleased Senators Kennedy, DeWine, and Leahy are cosponsoring this
legislation.
Finally, I would like to close by reading a passage from a letter
sent to me in 1997. It's a letter that at the time helped convince me
of the need to move toward permanent extension of the religious workers
provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The letter read as
follows:
``Dear Senator Abraham: I am writing to ask you to help us in
solving a very urgent problem. My Sisters in New York have told me that
the law which allows the Sisters to apply for permanent residence in
the United States expires on September 30, 1997. Please, will you do
all that you can to have that law extended so that all Religious will
continue to have the opportunity to be permanent residents and serve
the people of your great country.
``It means so much to our poor people to have Sisters who
understand them and their culture. It takes a long time for a Sister to
understand the people and a culture, so now our Society wants to keep
our Sisters in their mission countries on a more long term basis.
Please help us and our poor by extending this law.
``I am praying for you and the people of Michigan. My Sisters serve
the poor in Detroit where we have a soup kitchen and night shelter for
women. Let us all thank God for this chance to serve His poor.
``Signed: Mother Teresa.''
My office received this letter only a few weeks before her death.
In honor of her great deeds for humanity I hope that this year we can
finally extend the religious workers provisions of the INA permanently.
I think this hearing is an important step in that process and I look
forward to the testimony of the distinguished witnesses we have
assembled here today.
Senator Abraham. What I would like to do is move
immediately to the witnesses and let them make their opening
statements. I will have just a few questions for the panel,
unless we are joined by other members. Given the delays, I
suspect my colleagues, like myself, have found themselves
behind in different commitments and so may not be able to be
here.
We have a very special group of witnesses testifying here
today. First, we will hear from His Eminence Adam Cardinal
Maida, who is our Archbishop of Detroit. His Eminence and I
have worked together on this issue in the past, and I look
forward to hearing his comments and continuing to work with him
in the future.
We will next hear from Rabbi Steven Weil, who is the rabbi
at Young Israel of Oak Park, in Oak Park, Michigan.
Finally, we will hear from Elder Ralph Hardy, Jr., who is a
Member of the Quorum of the Seventy, with the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I welcome you all and, as I said, we will move right into
the testimony, so we will turn first to you, Cardinal. Welcome,
and thank you for being here today and for helping us on this
legislation.
PANEL CONSISTING OF HIS EMINENCE ADAM CARDINAL MAIDA,
ARCHBISHOP OF DETROIT, DETROIT, MI; RABBI STEVEN WEIL, YOUNG
ISRAEL OF OAK PARK, OAK PARK, MI; AND ELDER RALPH W. HARDY,
JR., MEMBER OF THE QUORUM OF THE SEVENTY, CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, WASHINGTON, DC
STATEMENT OF HIS EMINENCE ADAM CARDINAL MAIDA
Cardinal Maida. Good afternoon, Senator Abraham. It is good
to be here.
Senator Kennedy and members of the subcommittee, I am Adam
Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit. It is a pleasure to
appear before the subcommittee again. The last time I was here
was in September of 1997, and I was accompanied by Franciszek
Cardinal Macharski, the Archbishop of Krakow, who succeeded our
Holy Father there. Also present with me were Cardinal Castillo
Lara, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for
Vatican City State. Not only did I have the opportunity to
address with you concerns of the church, but I had the
opportunity to observe our congressional process at work. And
so I thank you for that opportunity and for this opportunity
today.
Before we get started, Mr. Chairman, I would like to take a
moment to extend the thanks of the U.S. Catholic Bishops for
your tireless work on behalf of immigrants. I know, Mr.
Chairman, that your work on behalf of immigrants and refugees
have come under attack in our home State of Michigan, and I
would like at this time to express my admiration for your
courageous leadership on behalf of immigrants and refugees here
in Congress, and extend my appreciation for your efforts in
educating those in our State and around the country about the
positive contributions immigrants make to our communities.
I must also thank Senator Kennedy, who has previously
served as chairman of the subcommittee and has long been a
champion of these issues. Senator Kennedy, your efforts over
the years, especially in the last decade, have brought much in
the way of reason, balance, and temperance to the national
debate on immigration.
As you know, I am here to speak with you about the need for
a permanent extension of the special immigrant NonMinister
Religious Worker Visa Program. I am here to present my views as
the Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit, as well as the views of the
Catholic Bishops of the United States.
The program is very important. It is an important one not
only for the religious denominations and organizations who make
use of it, but also for the individuals and the communities we
serve because of it. It allows the Catholic Church to bring in
as permanent residents foreign religious sisters, brothers, and
laypersons, all of whom perform vital tasks to assist the
church in her mission in the United States.
Should the program be permitted to expire at the end of
this fiscal year, religious organizations and denominations
will access to the much needed contributions of these religious
workers, as will the many communities in which they serve.
Prior to enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990 which
created new visa categories for religious workers, religious
organizations in the United States seeking the assistance of
foreign-born religious workers were frequently forced to use
immigrant categories that were more appropriately designed for
the needs of businesses and other employers. Utilization of
complex immigration categories created confusion and imposed
serious obstacles. In many cases, the immigrant visa categories
were over-subscribed and backlogged.
Consequently, the Catholic Church, as well as other
denominations, found that we could not bring in workers within
a timeframe that corresponded to the actual need for their
services. It would be a disservice to our parishes, our civic
communities, and most importantly to those in need of the
services that these workers provide if this category is not
extended permanently.
We are particularly pleased, Mr. Chairman, that you,
Senator Kennedy, Senator DeWine and Senator Leahy just
yesterday introduced legislation which would permanently extend
this program. We thank you for your sponsorship of this
legislation. We believe that a permanent extension would
provide the stability religious organizations require to plan
for their personal needs and prevent the disruption and
uncertainty that impending terminations of this program has
caused in this and previous years.
Additionally, because of the current trend toward a lower
number of vocations to religious life in this country, the
program also provides security for religious organizations who
still must respond to the increasing pastoral needs of the
growing and diverse ethnic communities that they serve.
Because of these and other reasons, I ask that you pass a
permanent extension of the nonminister special immigrant
categories of the religious worker program. I also urge to
reject the imposition of any new, unnecessarily harsh criteria
for applicants for these visas. We are aware that in the past
some have raised the question of whether a few individuals have
fraudulently attempted to use the religious worker visa
category.
I am not aware of any widespread attempts to use these
visas fraudulently. Our communities and organizations comply
with application requirements and produce
extensivedocumentation to satisfy each element of the statute and
regulations to ensure that applicants qualify for their visas in
compliance with the law.
Mr. Chairman, it is critical in understanding our need for
this program to recognize that the U.S. Catholic Church is
uniquely an immigrant church. Our dioceses frequently need the
assistance of noncitizen religious workers to minister to the
immigrant people. We estimate that more than half of the U.S.
Roman Catholic dioceses benefit from the needed skills of
foreign-born workers.
Noncitizen religious workers assist newcomers meet the
challenges of making the transition to their newly chosen
homeland, and possess the language, the cultural perspective
and the understanding to assist not only the newcomer, but the
diocese as a whole. Strong examples of this are our Asian and
Hispanic communities, once emerging, but now significant and
well-established communities.
According to a recent study commissioned by the Bishops'
Committee on Hispanic Affairs, 30 to 38 percent of Catholics in
the United States are Hispanic. Fully 71 percent of the
Catholic population growth in our country since 1960 is
attributable to Hispanics.
Let me describe briefly for your their work in real terms.
Information from dioceses across the country indicate that
workers under this program are engaged in ministry in parishes,
in healthcare, in prisons, in teaching, in nursing care, and in
counseling. Their contributions range from human services to
the most needy, to work with young adolescents, to religious
instruction.
Foreign-born nonminister religious workers are integral to
the diverse work carried on by the church in our country. These
are not individuals who work in high-visibility positions.
Rather, they perform perhaps the most difficult and important
task of mending the spirit of those in need in our communities.
As you know, Mr. Chairman, in our home State our religious
communities are very active. You may be familiar with the
Consolata Missionary Sisters in Belmont, the Dominican Sisters
in Lansing, and the Pine Missionaries of Detroit. With the help
of foreign-born religious workers, they provide a range of
services to Catholics and others in Michigan.
Recently, we have assisted the Sisters of Mercy to bring in
sisters to perform ministry, as well as another congregation to
bring in eight Nigerian sisters to minister to the poor in the
western part of our archdiocese. Our religious organizations in
Michigan use this special category as well. The archdiocese
works with other denominations in helping them obtain visas
under this category. Most recently, several Methodist
congregations needed assistance with an Hispanic ministry, a
Unitarian congregation needed the skills of a foreign-born
missionary, and a local mosque requested assistance to obtain a
visa.
The last time I spoke with the committee, Mother Teresa of
Calcutta had recently passed away, and we discussed her July
1997 letter to you, Mr. Chairman, regarding the need for these
visas. As you know, the Missionaries of Charity make an
important contribution in my archdiocese, and also perform
important work through their houses located in other parts of
the country. They operate homes for the homeless, those who
suffer from AIDS, and expectant mothers in crisis across the
Nation, primarily because of the work done by their sisters
from other countries and their ability to be sensitive to the
cultural needs of those they serve.
With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit
into the hearing record the letter sent to you from Mother
Teresa in July of 1997 in support of this important program. I
would also like your permission to submit in the record a
letter from Sister Dominga, the Regional Superior of the
Missionary Sisters of Charity in New York, supporting a
permanent extension of the special immigrant categories this
year.
Mr. Chairman, the work which foreign-born religious workers
perform in our country serves all American citizens. It
provides assistance I need in my archdiocese and the
contributions we need in our civic communities. This important
work which often goes unnoticed should be embraced on behalf of
the common good.
In closing, let me just reiterate that the permanent
extension of the non-minister special immigrant program is
greatly needed. Failure to extend this program would
substantially undermine the services that the Catholic Church
in the United States provides to our parishioners and
communities throughout the Nation. The dramatically increasing
need for charitable services in impoverished communities also
makes the extension of this special immigrant visa provision
timely and appropriate.
Thank you for your consideration of our views.
[The prepared statement of Cardinal Maida follows:]
Prepared Statement of His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida
Good morning Mr. Chairman, Senator Kennedy, and Members of the
Subcommittee. I am Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit.
It is a pleasure to appear before the Subcommittee again. That last
time I was here was in September of 1997, and I was accompanied by
Franciszek Cardinal Macharski, the Archbishop of Krakow, who succeeded
Our Holy Father, and President of the Pontifical Commission for the
Vatican City State. Not only did I have the opportunity to address with
you concerns of the Church, but they had the opportunity to observe our
Congressional process at work. So, I thank you for that opportunity and
this one today.
Before we get started, Mr. Chairman, I would like to take a moment
to extend the thanks of the U.S. Catholic Bishops for your tireless
efforts on behalf of immigrants. Your courageous leadership during the
104th, 105th and in the current 106th Congress has been instrumental in
upholding the rights and protection of legal immigrants, refugees,
asylees and those striving to become citizens. Your efforts have
resulted in preserving family unity, which is the underpinning of
American society and the traditional cornerstone of U.S. immigration
policy. You have supported extending meaningful protection to those
fleeing persecution and have been instrumental in ensuring that the
United States of America continues to be a leader in protecting those
struggling for freedom. You have also supported fair access to
naturalization for those who wish to embrace their adopted homeland
through the privilege of U.S. citizenship. These efforts are greatly
appreciated by the Catholic Church in the United States and we look
forward to your continued efforts and leadership in this area. I must
also thank Senator Kennedy, who has previously served as chairman of
the Subcommittee and has long been a champion of these issues. Senator
Kennedy, your efforts over the years, especially in this last decade,
have brought much in the way of reason, balance and temperance to
issues which have been used as lighting rods to feed fears and
misconceptions about immigrants and refugees which have resulted in
divisiveness in our communities.
As you know, I am here today to speak with you about the need for a
permanent extension of the Special Immigrant ``Nonminister'' Religious
Worker Visa Program. I am here to present my own views as the Cardinal
Archbishop of Detroit as well as the views of the United States
Catholic Conference representing the Catholic Bishops in the United
States. Let me say at the outset that we thank you in advance for what
we anticipate will be a permanent extension of the Program before it
expires in September of this year.
The Special Immigrant ``Nonminister'' Religious Worker Visa program
is very important--not only for the religious denominations and
organizations who make use of it, but also for the individuals and
communities we serve because of it. Should the program be permitted to
expire at the end of this fiscal year, religious organizations and
denominations will lose access to the much needed contributions of
these religious workers, as would the many communities in which they
work.
As members of the Subcommittee are aware, Congress recognized the
special needs of religious denominations and their organizations in the
United States when it created certain new visa categories under the
Immigration Act of 1990. These new categories permit, not only
religious workers, but ``non-minister'' religious workers, such as
religious brothers, religious sisters, catechists, cantors, pastoral
service workers, and others to enter the United States to work for a
religious organization at their request. These classes of religious
workers must have two years experience in their religious vocation or
occupation before applying to carry on their vocation or to engage in a
religious occupation as a professional or other special immigrant
worker. Those religious workers who are given special immigrant status
share the available visas for the category with other individuals also
identified as special immigrants. There are only a total of 10,000
visas that are available for special immigrants. Moreover, of this
number no more than 5,000 visas can be issued to the categories which
are set to expire.
Prior to enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990, religious
organizations in the United States seeking the assistance of foreign
born religious workers were frequently forced to use immigrant
categories that were more appropriately designed for the needs of
businesses and other employers. Religious organizations who needed the
temporary services of religious workers from abroad were forced to
navigate the complexities of the nonimmigrant business, student, and
missionary visa categories.
Utilization of complex immigration categories created confusion and
imposed serious obstacles. In many cases, the immigrant visa categories
were oversubscribed, such as the old sixth preference category that was
used by many religious sisters. Consequently, the Catholic Church, as
well as other denominations, found that we could not bring in workers
within a time frame that corresponded to the actual need for their
services. In some instances, we could not bring them at all. It would
be truly unfortunate if we found ourselves returned to that situation.
It would be a disservice to our parishes, our civic communities, and
most importantly, to those in need of the services that these workers
provide if this category is not extended permanently.
We are particularly pleased, Mr. Chairman, that the subcommittee is
considering making permanent the categories about to expire. We believe
that a permanent extension would provide the stability religious
organizations require to plan for their personnel needs and prevent the
disruptions and uncertainty that impending terminations of this program
have caused in this and previous years. As an example, the three-year
deadline creates a backlog in the program every three years just prior
to the expiration date because religious organizations file a large
number of applications fearing the program will expire and their
personnel needs will not be met for that year.
Additionally, the need to reauthorize the program every three years
raises the specter that the program will not be renewed at all. Some
religious workers, especially religious sisters, effectively would be
precluded from obtaining permanent residence because they would fall
under the category of ``other workers,'' which presently has a backlog
dating to June 1994. The oversubscribed ``other workers'' category
presents obstacles to the timely processing of applications, as I
mentioned earlier.
Finally, because of the current trend toward a lower number of
vocations to religious life in this country, the program also provides
security for religious organizations who still must respond to the
increasing pastoral needs of a growing and diverse community they
serve.
As you consider legislations to extend this important program, I
also urge Congress to reject the imposition of any new, unnecessarily
harsh criteria for applicants for these visas. We are aware that in the
past some have raised the question of whether a few individuals have
fraudulently attempted to use the religious worker visas category. I am
not aware of any widespread attempts to use these visas fraudulently.
Our communities and organizations comply with application requirements
and produce extensive documentation to support each element of the
statute and regulations to ensure that applicants qualify for their
visas in compliance with the law.
As mentioned earlier, there now exists a limit of 5,000 on the
number of visas that can be issued in any one year. We believe that if
there is some fraudulent use of the visa categories, the small number
of such visas should make it possible for those who are charged with
investigating visa applications do so with an eye toward ensuring that
they are being properly issued. We welcome whatever scrutiny is brought
to bear on each of our applications. But we oppose imposition of any
new, unnecessarily harsh criteria for applicants for these visas. To do
so would undoubtedly have the unintended effect of making it next to
impossible for U.S.-based religious organizations and denominations
here to fill critical positions for which American-born counterparts
are unavailable or unqualified.
Earlier I spoke of the pastoral work performed by these individuals
in our civic communities and their significance to the Catholic Church
in the United States. It is critical in understanding our need for this
program to recognize that the U.S. Catholic Church is uniquely an
immigrant church. Our dioceses frequently need the assistance of
noncitizen religious workers to minister to the immigrant population.
Noncitizen workers assist newcomers meet the challenges of making the
transition to their newly chosen homeland. These workers possess the
language, the culture perspective and the understanding to assist not
only the newcomer but the diocese as a whole. Strong examples of this
are our Asian and Hispanic communities, once emerging communities which
are now significant and well-established communities. According to a
recent study commissioned by the Bishops Committee on Hispanic Affairs,
30%-38% of Catholics in the United States are Hispanic. Fully, 71% of
the Catholic population growth in our country since 1960 is
attributable to Hispanics.
The work of the Catholic Church in the United States would suffer
dramatically without the assistance of non-minister religious workers.
We estimate that more than half of the U.S. Roman Catholic dioceses
benefit from the needed skills of foreign born workers. Information
form dioceses across the country indicate they are engaged in ministry
in parishes, in health care, in prisons, in teaching, in nursing care,
and in counseling. Foreign born non-minister religious workers are
integral to the diverse work carried on by the Church in our country.
Some of the work which is done in our dioceses, parishes and civic
communities by noncitizen religious workers include the following:
Pastoral ministry to members of the Catholic Church.
Human services to the most needy, including shelter
and food.
Care for and ministering to the sick, aged, and
dying in hospitals and special facilities.
Work with adolescents and young adults to confront
complicated social issues during a time when they desperately
wish to be accepted by their peers.
Assistance to religious leaders as they lead their
congregations and communities in worship.
Support to families, particularly in times of
crisis, to preserve the family unit.
Providing religious instruction to new members of
the religious denomination.
Assisting refugees and immigrants with their
transition to their newly adopted homeland.
These are not individuals who would work in high visibility
positions. However, they perform perhaps the most difficult and
important task of mending the spirit of those in need in our
communities.
Let me describe briefly for you their work in real terms. As you
know, Mr. Chairman, in our home state our religious communities are
very active. You may be familiar with the Consolata Missionary Sisters
in Belmont, the Dominican Sisters in Adrian and the Benedictines in St.
Joseph. An example which you might be more familiar with are the
Antonine Sisters, a religious congregation which belong to the Eparchy
of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. The sisters have only one
community in the United States located in Youngstown, Ohio. Let me
share a few sentences with you from a letter from the Superior of the
Community describing their work: ``Our ministry in the United States is
to take care on a daily basis of frail elderly and disabled adults at
our Antonine Sisters' Adult Day Care. . . . Most of our elderly have
poor income and some of them live by themselves without any family
member close by to take care of them. Coming to our day care gives them
a strong incentive to live in hope and joy. Services range from
ambulatory assistance to body mechanics, transfers, wheelchair
management, feeding devices,assisting incontinent participants,
observing them for symptoms, and mostly also providing the above
services with love, compassion, and in a Christ-like spirit.''
The last time I spoke with the Committee, the late Mother Teresa of
Calcutta had recently passed away and I relayed a letter from her to
you, Mr. Chairman, regarding the need for these visas. As you know, the
Missionaries of Charity make an important contribution in my
Archdiocese and also perform important work through their houses
located in other areas of the country.
In a recent communication, a Missionary Brother of Charity in Los
Angeles, California, spoke of the benefit foreign born religious
workers provide to the fulfillment of their mission. He spoke of the
assistance they provide ministering in the streets to the Hispanic
community, visiting the sick and terminally ill in their homes, and
assisting the broader community. He also mentioned the benefit of one
religious brother from Columbia who worked with them at their day
center for homeless youth and women, where he provided individuals a
place to rest, fresh clothes to wear, a bathroom and showers to care
for themselves, and a full meal. As the Superior described: ``Our
charism is to work with the poorest of the poor, people who are often
neglected in society. Most of our work is simple, such as feeding the
hungry, providing clothes, and taking the time to talk with someone. We
continue the work and spirit of Mother Teresa.''
This is the work that I see around the nation, the assistance I
need in my Archdiocese, and the contributions we need in our civic
communities. This important work, which often goes unnoticed, should
not be casually discarded or restricted but should be encouraged on
behalf of the common good.
In closing let me just reiterate that the permanent extension of
the nonminister special immigrant program is greatly needed. Failure to
extend this program would substantially undermine the services that the
Catholic Church in the United States provides to our parishioners and
communities throughout the nation. Dramatically increasing need for
charitable services in impoverished communities also makes the
extension of this special immigrant visa provision timely and
appropriate.
I thank you for your close attention to our views and your swift
action in this matter.
______
Biography of Cardinal Adam Maida
Adam Joseph Maida was born on March 18, 1930, in East Vandergrift,
Pennsylvania. He was the first of three sons born to Adam Maida and
Sophie Cieslak Maida.
Cardinal Maida's father, now deceased, came to the United States
from a rural area near Warsaw, Poland. His mother was born in the
United States and presently resides in Scott Township, Pennsylvania.
One brother, Thaddeus, is a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and
the pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Perrysville. His other
brother, Daniel, lives in Scott Township and is married to the former
Patricia Hurley. Daniel is in private business and he and Patricia have
three sons, Timothy, Joseph and Robert.
Cardinal Maida attended East Vandergrift Public Schools;
Vandergrift Public High School for one year, and Scott Township High
School for one year. He then completed high school and graduated from
St. Mary's High School, Orchard Lake, Michigan, in 1948.
Following graduation from St. Mary's, Cardinal Maida entered St.
Mary's College, Orchard Lake. In 1950, he transferred to St. Vincent's
College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1952 with a
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.
In 1956, Cardinal Maida graduated with a Licentiafe in sacred
Theology (S.T.L.) from St. Mary's University, Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1960, Cardinal Maida received a Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.)
from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. In 1964, he was awarded
a Doctorate in Civil Law (J.D.) from Duquesne Law School in Pittsburgh.
Cardinal Maida was admitted to practice law before the Bar for the
State of Pennsylvania, the Federal Bar in Western Pennsylvania, and the
United States Supreme Court.
On May 26, 1956, Cardinal Maida was ordained a priest in St. Paul
Cathedral, Pittsburgh, by then Bishop John Dearden (deceased Cardinal
Archbishop of Detroit).
Following his ordination, Cardinal Maida served in the Diocese of
Pittsburgh as an associate pastor, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel
of the Diocese, in the Diocesan Tribunal, and as Assistant Professor of
Theology at La Roche College, and Adjunct Professor of Law at Duquesne
University Law School.
On January 25, 1984, he was ordained and installed as the ninth
Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
On May 7, 1990, Pope John Paul II named Bishop Maida Archbishop of
Detroit. He was installed as Archbishop of Detroit on June 12, 1990.
On October 30, 1994, Pope John Paul II named Archbishop Maida a
Cardinal. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals at a Consistory
held on November 26, 1994, at the Paul VI Auditorium in the Vatican.
In May of 1996, Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Maida as Papal
Legate (the Pope's personal representative) to the 19th International
Marian Congress, which was held in Czestochowa, Poland, from August 24
to 26, 1996.
CURRENT APPOINTMENTS
Roman Curia
Member, Congregation for Catholic Education; Member, Congregation
for the Clergy; and Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)
Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for Aid to the Church in Central and
Eastern Europe; Member, Committee on the Diaconate; Member,
International Policy Committee; Member, Committee on Migration; Member,
Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Member, Ad Hoc Committee--Ex Corde
Ecclesiac; and Episcopal Liaison, Committee for the Polish Apostolate.
Catholic University of America
Member, Board of Trustees.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,
Washington, DC
Member, Board of Trustees.
Pope John XXIII Medical-Moral Research and Education Center, Braintree,
Massachusetts
Member, Board of Directors.
Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC)
Chairman, Board of Trustees.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Foundation Rome
Member.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Foundation United States
Episcopal Moderator and President.
PUBLICATIONS
The Tribunal Reporter--A Casebook and Commentary on the Grounds for
Annulment in the Catholic Church, Vol. I (1970) Editor.
Ownership, Control and Sponsorship of Catholic Institutions (1975)
Author.
Issues in the Labor-Management Dialogue: Church Perspectives (1982)
Editor.
Church Property, Church Finances and Church-Related Corporations, A
Canon Law Handbook (1983) Author.
LANGUAGES
Polish, Latin, Italian.
Senator Abraham. Cardinal Maida, thank you, and we will
enter both letters into the record of the proceedings here. We
appreciate you being here.
[The letters referred to follow:]
Missionaries of Charity,
Bronx, NY, April 12, 2000.
Dear Chairman Abraham: I write to ask your assistance on an issue
of importance to the Missionaries of Charity.
The Immigration Act of 1990, the Religious Worker Visa program,
which allows U.S.-based religious organizations to bring in foreign
workers to assist them in providing pastoral care to their membership,
was enacted. The special immigrant visa category of the Religious
Worker program, which permits properly sponsored nonminister religious
workers from abroad to enter the United States and eventually qualify
for permanent residency visas, is set to expire on October 1 of this
year. I ask for your support for a permanent extension of the special
immigrant religious worker visa category under the Religious Worker
Visa program.
As you may know, Mother Teresa, our Foundress, opened over thirty
(30) houses in America where we give wholehearted and free service to
the poorest of the poor. We operate Homes for the Homeless, People with
Aids, and Expectant Mothers. These homes are run by our sisters, most
of whom are not American citizens. The Missionaries of Charity have
utilized the special immigrant visa category to enable us to do this
work, and over one hundred (100) of our sisters have received permanent
residency.
As you know, the nonminister special immigrant category of the
Religious Worker visa program has been reauthorized three times in
three-year increments. As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on
Immigration, your support of a permanent extension of the nonminister
special immigrant category of the Religious Worker visa program would
be appreciated.
God bless you and thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely in Jesus,
Sister M. Dominga, MC,
Regional Superior.
______
Missionaries of Charity,
Calcutta, India, July 20, 1997.
Hon. Spencer Abraham,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Abraham: This brings you my prayers, greetings and
gratitude for all that you have done to help my Sisters and all
Religious serve the poor in the United States.
I am writing to ask you to help us in solving a very urgent
problem. My Sisters in New York have told me that the law which allows
the Sisters to apply for permanent residence in the United States
expires on September 30, 1997. Please, will you do all that you can to
have that law extended so that all Religious will continue to have the
opportunity to be permanent residents and serve the people of your
great country.
It means so much to our poor people to have Sisters who understand
them and their culture. It takes a long time for a Sister to understand
the people and a culture, so now our Society wants to keep our Sisters
in their mission countries on a more long term basis. Please help us
and our poor by extending this law.
I am praying for you and the people of Michigan. My Sisters serve
the poor in Detroit where we have a soup kitchen and night shelter for
women. Let us all thank God for this chance to serve His poor.
God bless you,
Mother Teresa, MC.
Senator Abraham. Rabbi Weil, nice to see you. Thank you for
coming down, and we will turn to you at this time.
STATEMENT OF RABBI STEVEN WEIL
Rabbi Weil. Mr. Chairman, Honored Senators, thank you for
the honor and privilege of appearing before the members of this
subcommittee today.
Mr. Chairman, I have been a resident of the State of
Michigan for the past 6 years. In that time, my sense of pride
and gratitude for the strong leadership and keen vision you
have provided our local communities has become increasingly
profound.
Additionally, I would like to take the opportunity to
commend you and the other members of this subcommittee for the
strides you have taken to preserve this country's legal
immigration system. Your hard work in the area of immigration,
refugees, asylum, and naturalization is marked by courage,
sensitivity, common sense, and most importantly with respect
and dignity for all people who arrive at the shores of this
country.
My name is Steven Weil. I serve as a congregational and
communal rabbi in metropolitan Detroit. I am a member of the
Executive Committee of Detroit's Council of Orthodox Rabbis,
and I am also a member of the Rabbinical Council of America and
the Orthodox Union. The two latter groups are umbrella
organizations that provide support and services for the
professional and lay leadership of the American Jewish
community.
More important than each of those positions, however, is my
distinction as a first-generation American. I am the son of a
German Jewish immigrant. Unlike most of my paternal relatives
who were herded into cattle cars and sent to their tragic
deaths in the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Belzec, my
father and grandparents were fortunate enough to find refuge in
the United States. They, along with many other refugees, were
given the gift of life and the opportunity to rebuild their
lives.
However, the Jewish community in America at that time was
unable to provide for the staggering financial, social,
psychological and educational needs of the refugees arriving
from Europe at that time. Despite it all, and armed with
nothing but their foresight, faith and work ethic, my
grandparents managed to build a business and a new family.
Every day, I stand in awe of their accomplishments and am
humbled by the realization that they were an exception to the
rule.
Most people arriving to this country will require some form
of communal assistance throughout various points in their
lives. With that in mind, religious organizations that care for
the needs of their members wish to provide a religious
infrastructure that can offer those people arriving everyday
the assistance they so desperately need. Many of them arrive
from countries that view religion differently from our own. We
are fortunate to raise our families in an environment where
religious freedom is not merely an ideal but a constitutional
right. It is in such an environment that the greatest
assistance can be provided.
Allow me to tell you about the men and women who are
affected by the Mother Teresa Religious Workers Act. They are a
group of talented, well-trained and dedicated individuals who
leave their homelands and their families with the intent to
develop our local communities. They are men and women, rabbis,
teachers, social workers and youth leaders who are intimately
involved with the needs of our various neighborhoods.
They spend their days in schools, in synagogues, hospitals
and homes for the aged. They not only teach and inspire us to
become better people, but they also guide those who are
confused onto the proper path. They are by our side in times of
need and sorrow, offering both practical and emotional support.
They serve the community en masse, while at the same time never
losing sight of individual members of society. It is through
their efforts that our local communities are strengthened,
enabling its citizens to contribute even more to the greater
society in which we live.
In Southfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit, lives a group of
young and dynamic Israeli couples. They have moved into the
neighborhood and are employed in the community's religious
schools. In the short time that they have resided in our
community, the impact they have had is immeasurable. They serve
as positive role models for our children by teaching them about
the type of people we as a community want our children to
become. They have also become integral members of the
community, opening their homes and giving of themselves in
every facet of communal life.
The Jewish communities in Chicago, Atlanta, Boca Raton,
Florida, Los Angeles, and Kansas City, where this program has
been duplicated, have also benefitted in similar manners. All
of these communities have received these benefits based on the
current law. Should this law expire, the contributions of these
dedicated members of our communities will no longer be
accessible. Not only will all communities be poorer for the
loss, but those who directly benefit from their services will
ultimately fall through the cracks.
Unfortunately, the law does not yet permanently recognize
the inherent value of religious workers. All of us here today
are present to testify of the great need and value in allowing
religious workers to come to our communities. Making this Act
permanent will bring only selfless men and women to this
country, men and women who will contribute to this Nation's
well-being and further its greatness.
Mr. Chairman, members of this subcommittee, I ask you to
continue in your role as advocates for this worthy cause.
Please act quickly to make the Mother Teresa Religious Workers
Act permanent so that we may return to our communities, assured
of being able to provide for the general health and welfare of
our constituents.
Thank you.
Senator Abraham. Rabbi Weil, thank you very much. We
appreciate you being here today and for your statement. It is
very powerful.
[The prepared statement of Rabbi Weil follows:]
Testimony of Rabbi Steven Weil
Mr. Chairman, honored Senators, thank you for the honor and
privilege of appearing before the members of this subcommittee today.
Mr. Chairman, I have been a resident of the State of Michigan for the
past six years. In that time, my sense of pride and gratitude for the
strong leadership and keen vision you have provided our local
communities has become increasingly profound. Additionally, I would
like to take the opportunity to commend you and the other members of
this subcommittee for the strides you have taken to preserve this
country's legal immigration system. Your hard work in the area of
immigration, refugees, asylum and naturalization is marked by courage,
sensitivity, common sense, and, most importantly, with respect and
dignity for all people who arrive at the shores of this country.
My name is Steven Weil. I serve as a congregational and communal
Rabbi in metropolitan Detroit. I am a member of the executive committee
of Detroit's Council of Orthodox Rabbis and I am also a member of the
Rabbinical Council of America and the Orthodox Union. The two latter
groups are umbrella organizations that provide support and services for
the professional and lay leadership of the American Jewish community.
More important than each of those positions, however, is my
distinction as a first generation American. I am the son of a German-
Jewish immigrant. Unlike most of my paternal relatives who were herded
into cattle cars and sent to their tragic deaths in the concentration
camps at Auschwitz and Belzec, my father and grandparents were
fortunate enough to find refuge in the United States. They, along with
many other refugees, were given the gift of life and the opportunity to
rebuild their lives. However, the Jewish community in America at that
time was unable to provide for the staggering financial, social,
psychological and educational needs of the refugees arriving from
Europe at the time. Despite it all, and armed with nothing but their
foresight, faith and work ethic, my grandparents managed to build a
successful business and a new family. Ever day, I stand in awe of their
accomplishments and am humbled by the realization that they were an
exception to the rule. Most people arriving to this country will
require some form of communal assistance throughout various points in
their life. With that in mind, religious organizations that care for
the needs of its members and wish to provide a religious infrastructure
that can offer those people arriving every day the assistance they so
desperately need. Many of them arrive from countries that view religion
differently from our own. We are fortunate to raise our families in an
environment where religious freedom is not merely an ideal, but a
constitutional right. It is in such an environment that the greatest
assistance can be provided.
Allow me to tell you about the leaders affected by the Mother
Teresa Religious Workers Act. They are a group of talented, well-
trained and dedicated individuals who leave their homelands and their
families with the intent to develop our local communities. They are men
and women, Rabbis, teachers, social workers and youth leaders who are
intimately involved with the needs of our various neighborhoods. They
spend their days in schools, synagogues, hospitals and homes for the
aged. They not only teach and inspire us to become better people, but
they also guide those who are confused on to the proper path. They are
by our side in times of need and sorrow, offering both practical and
emotional support. They serve the community en masse, while at the same
time never losing sight of individual members of society. It isthrough
their efforts that our local communities are strengthened, enabling its
citizens to contribute even more to the greater society in which we
live.
In Southfield, Michigan, suburb of Detroit, lives a group of young
and dynamic Israeli couples. They have moved into the neighborhood and
are employed in the community's religious schools. In the short time
that they have resided in our community,the impact they have had is
immeasurable. They serve as positive role models for our children by
teaching them about the type of people we as a community want our
children to become. They have also become integral members of the
community, opening their homes and giving of themselves in every facet
of communal life. The Jewish communities in Chicago, Atlanta, Boca
Raton, Los Angeles and Kansas City, where this program has been
duplicated, have also benefited in similar manners. All of these
communities have received these benefits based on the current law.
Should this law expire, the contributions of these dedicated members of
our communities will no longer be accessible. Not only will all
communities be poorer for the loss, but those who directly benefit from
their services ultimately fall through the cracks.
Unfortunately, the law does not yet permanently recognize the
inherent value of religious workers. All of us here today are present
to testify of the great need and value in allowing religious workers to
come to our communities. Making this Act permanent will bring only
selfless men and women to this country. Men and women who will
contribute to this nation's well being and further its greatness.
Mr. Chairman, members of this subcommittee, I ask you to continue
in your role as advocates for this worthy cause. Please act quickly to
make the Mother Teresa Religious Workers Act permanent so that we may
return to our communities, assured of being able to provide for the
general health and welfare of our constituents.
Thank you.
Senator Abraham. We will now turn to you, Elder Hardy.
Thank you also for participating today. We welcome you.
STATEMENT OF ELDER RALPH W. HARDY, JR.
Elder Hardy. Thank you, Senator Abraham. I am Elder Ralph
W. Hardy, Jr., a Member of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Chairman of the Church's
Public Affairs Advisory Committee here in Washington.
I represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, sometimes called the Mormon Church, and I have been
invited to testify on the Mother Teresa Religious Workers Act.
The church has about 10.7 million members. Over half of our
membership resides outside of North America.
Our church is very much in favor of legislation that would
make permanent the religious worker nonimmigrant visa program.
As the law stands, the foreign religious worker program will
expire in September of this year. The bill before you would
remove the sunset provision. I speak in favor of this bill
because the religious workers visa program is a vital part of
the missionary effort of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints.
The driving force behind Christian missionary work is the
spiritual duty to witness of Jesus Christ and his gospel. The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes that charge
very seriously. Today, there are over 60,000 full-time
missionaries from our church in over 160 countries around the
world. While the majority of missionaries are from the United
States, almost 15,000 missionaries are citizens of other
countries who are assigned by the president of our church to
serve in any one of those 160 countries, including the United
States.
Missionaries serve for a maximum of 24 months, which means
that each year about 35,000 missionaries leave or return from a
mission. For example, my own two young sons recently returned
from their missions. One went to Malaysia, Singapore and Sri
Lanka, and the other spent 2 years among the Hispanic people in
Orange County, CA. Between 1961 and 1962, I served a mission in
Scotland. In my own congregation of the church in suburban
Maryland, we have a young missionary serving from Singapore.
Latter-day Saint missionaries acknowledge two restraints on
their mandate to be a missionary. The first restraint is the
moral agency of all persons with whom they come in contact to
choose their own beliefs for themselves. The second restraint
is obedience to the law, whose observance is a fundamental
tenet of our faith. As stated in our 12th Article of Faith,
``We believe . . . in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the
law.''
My testimony today will discuss the importance of the
religious worker non-immigrant visa program to the missionary
effort of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I
will summarize the use of the religious worker non-immigrant
visa program by the church, the advantages to the individual
missionaries and to the church of having the religious worker
non-immigrant visas available, and the careful measures which
the church takes to ensure strict compliance with the rules
governing non-immigrants' behavior and departure. I will also
comment on possible arguments that could be raised about abuse
and misuse of the religious worker non-immigrant visa program.
In sum, we seek your support for this legislation which would
make the religious worker non-immigrant visa program permanent.
A significant minority of the church's 60,000 missionaries
are citizens of other countries. These young missionaries from
outside the United States can be assigned by the church's
leadership to stay in their home country or to serve in any one
of the other 160 countries where the church operates, including
the United States. We have sent missionaries from Australia to
serve in Taiwan, and missionaries from Japan to serve in
Ukraine. Thus, any prospective missionary for the church can be
sent almost anywhere in the world to serve for up to 24 months.
Since 1960, prior to the religious worker non-immigrant
visa program, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
has had a program for foreign missionaries to serve in the
United States, and we have had young missionaries from almost
every country in the world perform their missionary service in
this country.
Of course, we also send our missionaries from the United
States to those countries. The governments of those countries
have been very generous in accommodating and granting visas to
our missionaries. Since its establishment 10 years ago, the
religious worker non-immigrant visa program has helped our
church and the Latter-day Saint people to reciprocate by
inviting citizens of these foreign countries to perform their
missionary service in the United States. Thus, we encourage the
Congress to be as accommodating to the citizens of other
countries by passing this bill.
Being able to bring qualified members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the United States to serve
as missionaries for 18 to 24 months results in many advantages
not only to the individual missionaries but to our worldwide
church as an institution, as well as to our society.
Many of these young missionaries are from countries in
which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been
established for less than a generation. The missionaries are
able to see how our church, with its volunteer lay leadership,
operates in the United States, and they return to their home
countries with this institutional knowledge, which in turns
strengthens the church and its lay leadership infrastructure in
those countries.
Young missionaries on religious worker non-immigrant visas
generally have to learn English. Not only do they become
conversationally fluent during their 2 years in the United
States, but they often teach and hold leadership positions in
their capacity as missionaries, which further improves their
new language skills. Further, the missionaries have the
opportunity to develop leadership skills by working with
missionaries from all over the world. Often, this exposure to a
new culture opens up educational opportunities that they
otherwise would not have.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints goes to
great lengths to ensure strict compliance with the regimen
imposed by the church, as well as the rules and regulations of
the religious worker nonimmigrant visa program. For example, no
missionaries sell anything, not even religious items, nor are
they allowed to solicit or accept donations for themselves or
for the church. Missionaries are not permitted to date, marry,
or to work at any kind of employment. Rather, they are engaged
in full-time, unpaid community service or religious teaching
while serving on their missions. These rules apply to all of
our missionaries worldwide, not just the missionaries serving
in the United States under the religious worker non-
immigrantvisa program.
All of our young missionaries in the 333 missions of the
church are supervised carefully by a distinguished lay leader
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as a
mission president. In addition, all missionaries are assigned a
companion, and the two perform their religious and community
service together. Again, it is the policy of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that all of these young
missionaries serving in the United States under the religious
worker nonimmigrant visa program return to their home countries
promptly after their 24-month service as a missionary.
When a missionary completes his or her 2-year mission, the
church purchases for the missionary a one-way plane ticket
home, and the mission president sees the missionary off at the
airport. In this fashion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints takes great care to ensure compliance with the terms
of the visa and the religious worker nonimmigrant visa program.
We know that some may be concerned about possible abuses of
the religious worker nonimmigrant visa program. For example,
there may be questions as to whether religious worker
nonimmigrant visas are abused by applicants, whether sponsoring
organizations make false statements about the length of time
that the applicant was a member of the religious organization
and the nature of the work to be done, whether some religious
worker nonimmigrant visa applicants intend to do very little
religious work or stay past the date of expiration.
Please understand that the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints makes every effort to comply with both the
spirit and the letter of the law. Latter-day Saint
missionaries, as well as religious workers of many other
denominations, do not abuse the religious worker non-immigrant
visa program. Much good is done by religious workers in this
country on non-immigrant visas.
Another possible concern is that religious workers will not
be able to pay for medical care or living expenses, leaving any
charges they may incur to be written off by the hospital or the
landlord. Here again, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints pays directly for medical insurance for all missionaries
in the United States on religious worker nonimmigrant visas.
These missionaries are supported financially from worldwide
contributions to the church's missionary program. As stated
before, a mission president is assigned to each area and is
specifically charged with supervising the missionaries. The
mission president's staff makes sure that the rent is paid and
that a living allowance which comes from member donations is
distributed monthly.
As a strict matter of policy, A, our missionaries do not
accept donations beyond an invitation to dinner. And, B, our
missionaries on religious worker nonimmigrant visas fulfill
their financial obligations without asking anyone outside of
our own faith for assistance.
The United States of America is a nation of diverse
religions that protects freedom of religion. The religious
worker nonimmigrant visa program allows those of different
nations to witness firsthand the operation of religious freedom
in this country. We have welcomed those of different countries
and benefitted by our association with them. The opportunities
afforded to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
to our missionaries by use of the religious worker nonimmigrant
visa program has strengthened international relationships and
provided education and experience in a setting not otherwise
available.
When the religious worker nonimmigrant visa program was
first introduced 10 years ago, the 3-year renewable period was
added because this visa was experimental. The religious worker
nonimmigrant visa program has proved to be very successful. No
other nonimmigrant visa has to be renewed every 3 years,
wasting time and resources that could be spent elsewhere. The
time has come to make the religious worker nonimmigrant visa
program a permanent part of the law.
Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Elder Hardy follows:]
Prepared Statement of Elder Ralph W. Hardy, Jr.
I am Elder Ralph W. Hardy, Jr., a Member of the Seventy of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints and Chairman of the Church's
Washington Public Affairs Advisory Committee. I represent The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called the Mormon Church,
and I have been invited to testify on the Mother Teresa Religious
Workers Act. The Church has 10.7 million members. Over half of our
membership resides outside of North America.
Our Church is very much in favor of legislation that would make
permanent the religious worker non-immigrant visa program. As the law
stands, the foreign religious worker program will expire in September
of this year. The bill before you would remove the sunset provision. I
speak in favor of this bill because the religious worker visa program
is a vital part of the missionary effort of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
The driving force behind Christian missionary work is the spiritual
duty to witness of Jesus Christ and his gospel. The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints takes that charge very seriously. Today
there are over 60,000 full-time missionaries from our Church in over
160 countries around the world. While the majority of missionaries are
from the United States, almost 15,000 missionaries are citizens of
other countries who are assigned by the President of our Church to
serve in any of those 160 countries, including the United States.
Missionaries serve for a maximum of 24 months, which means that each
year about 35,000 missionaries either leave for or return from a
mission. For example, my own two young sons recently returned from
their missions: one went to Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka; and the
other spent two years among the Hispanic people in Orange County,
California. Between 1961 and 1962 I served a mission in Scotland. In my
own congregation of the Church in suburban Maryland, we have a young
missionary serving from Singapore.
Later-day Saint missionaries acknowledge two restraints on their
mandate to be a missionary. The first restraint is the moral agency of
all people with whom they come in contact to choose their own beliefs
for themselves. The second restraint is obedience to the law, whose
observance is a fundamental tenet of our faith. As stated in our 12th
Article of Faith, ``We believe . . . in obeying, honoring, and
sustaining the law.''
My testimony today will discuss the importance of the religious
worker non-immigrant visa program to the missionary effort of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will summarize the use
of the religious worker non-immigration visa program by the Church, the
advantages to the individual missionaries and to the Church of having
the religious worker non-immigrant visas available, and the careful
measures the Church takes to ensure strict compliance with the rules
governing non-immigrants' behavior and departure. I will also comment
on possible arguments that could be raised about abuse and mis-use of
the religious worker non-immigrant visa program. In sum, we seek your
support for this legislation which would make the religious worker non-
immigrant visa program permanent.
1. USE OF THE R-1 VISAS
A significant minority of the Church's 60,000 missionaries are
citizens of other countries. These young missionaries from outside the
United States can be assigned by the Church's leadership to stay in
their home country, or to serve in any of the other 160 countries where
the Church operates, including the United States. We have sent
missionaries from Australia to serve in Taiwan, and missionaries from
Japan to serve in Ukraine. Thus, any prospective missionary for the
Church can be sent almost anywhere in the world to serve for up to 24
months. Since 1960--prior to the religious worker non-immigrant visa
program--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a
program for foreign missionaries to serve in the United States and we
have had young missionaries from almost every country in the world
perform their missionary service in this country. Of course, we also
send missionaries from the United States to those countries. The
governments of those countries have been very generous and
accommodating in granting visas to our missionaries. Since its
establishment ten years ago, the religious worker non-immigrant visa
program has helped our Church and the Latter-day Saint people to
reciprocate by inviting citizens of these foreign countries to perform
their missionary service in the United States. Thus, we encourage the
Congress to be as accommodating to the citizens of other countries by
passing this bill.
2. ADVANTAGES OF USING THE R-1 VISAS
Being able to bring qualified members of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints to the United States to serve as missionaries for
18 to 24 months results in many advantages--not only to the individual
missionaries but to our worldwide Church as an institution. Many of
these young missionaries are from countries in which the The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been established for less than a
generation. The missionaries are able to see how our Church, with its
volunteer lay leadership, operates in the United States and they return
to their home countries with this institutional knowledge, which in
turn strengthens the Church and its lay leadership infrastructure in
these countries.
Young missionaries on religious worker non-immigrant visas
generally have to learn English. Not only to do become conversationally
fluent during their two years in the United States, but they often
teach and hold leadership positions in their capacity as missionaries,
which further improves their new language skills. Further, the
missionaries have the opportunity to develop leadership skills by
working with missionaries from all over the world. Often, this exposure
to a new culture opens up educational opportunities that they otherwise
would not have.
3. MEASURES TAKEN TO ENSURE STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH VISA REGULATIONS
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints goes to great
length to ensure strict compliance with the regimen imposed by the
Church as well as the rules and regulations of the religious worker
non-immigrant visa program. For example, no missionaries sell anything,
not even religious items, nor are they allowed to solicit or accept
donations for themselves or for the Church. Missionaries are not
permitted to date, marry or to work at any kind of employment; rather,
they are engaged in full-time, unpaid community service or religious
teaching while serving on their missions. These rules apply to all of
our missionaries worldwide, not just to missionaries serving in the
United States under the religious worker non-immigrant visa program.
All of our young missionaries in the 333 missions of the Church are
supervised carefully by a distinguished lay leader of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints known as a Mission President. In
addition, all missionaries are assigned a companion, and the two
perform their religious and community service together. Again, it is
the policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that all
of these young missionaries serving in the United States under the
religious worker non-immigrant visa program return to their home
countries promptly after their 24 month service as a missionary. When
such a missionary completes his two-year mission, the Church purchases
the missionary a one-way plane ticket home and the Mission President
sees the missionary off at the airport. In this fashion, The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes great care to ensure compliance
with the terms of the visa and the religious worker non-immigrant visa
program.
REPLY TO POSSIBLE CONCERNS
We know that some may be concerned about possible abuses of the
religious worker non-immigrant visa program. For example, there may be
questions as to whether religious worker non-immigrant visas are abused
by applicants; whether sponsoring organizations make false statements
about the length of time that the applicant was a member of the
religious organization and the nature of the work to be done; whether
some religious worker non-immigrant visa applicants intend to do very
little religious work, or stay past the date of expiration.
Please understand that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints makes every effort to comply with both the spirit and the letter
of the law. Latter-day Saint missionaries and religious workers of many
other denominations do not abuse the religious worker non-immigrant
visa program. Much good is done by religious workers in this country on
non-immigrant visas.
Another possible concern is that religious workers will not be able
to pay for medical care or living expenses, leaving any charges they
may incur to be written off by the hospital or landlord. Here again,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pays directly for
medical insurance for all missionaries in the United States on
religious worker non-immigrant visas. These missionaries are supported
financially from worldwide contributions to the Church's missionary
program. As stated before, a Mission President is assigned to each area
and is specifically charged with supervising the missionaries. The
Mission President's staff makes sure that rent is paid and a living
allowance, which comes from member donations, is distributed monthly.
As a strict matter of policy (a) our missionaries do not accept
donations beyond an invitation to dinner, and (b) our missionaries on
religious worker non-immigrant visas fulfill their financial
obligations without asking anyone outside of our own faith for
assistance.
CONCLUSION
The United States of America is a nation of diverse religions that
protects freedom of religion. The religious worker non-immigrant visa
program allows those of different nations to witness firsthand the
operations of religious freedom in the United States of America. We
have welcomed those of different countries and benefitted by our
association with them. The opportunities afforded to The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to our missionaries by use of the
religious worker non-immigrant visa program have strengthened
international relationships and provided education and experience in a
setting not otherwise available.
When the religious worker non-immigrant visa program was first
introduced ten years ago, the three year renewal period was added
because this visa was experimental. The religious worker non-immigrant
visa program has proved to be very successful. No other non-immigrant
visa has to be renewed every three years, wasting time and resources
that could be spent elsewhere. The time has come to make the religious
worker non-immigrant visa program a permanent part of the law.
Senator Abraham. I want to thank all of our panelists today
for your testimony and for, I think, making a very compelling
case. I just have a couple of questions, and given some of the
sentiments expressed, some of these points have even been
touched on.
I just wanted to perhaps make sure we had clear the number
of visas that your organizations estimate are used per year, if
you know that. And if you don't, if we could find that out and
provide it later to the committee, it could be included in the
record.
Cardinal Maida, if you have an estimate on that?
Cardinal Maida. It is about 1,000 to 1,200, according to
our best count.
Senator Abraham. Rabbi Weil, as I said, we will keep the
record open.
The way the process works, just for those of you who are
new as witnesses, we also will leave the record open for other
members, if anyone wants to submit questions, for a couple of
days. They will have that chance. So we will submit this in
writing, as well, for your purposes.
Elder Hardy.
Elder Hardy. Right now, our church has slightly over 2,000
at this present time in the country.
Senator Abraham. One of the other questions I think that we
need to get on the record here is just an estimation or an
analysis of the impact that would happen on your organization
if we weren't to move forward to reauthorize and extend these
visas into the future.
What would be the impact of that?
Elder Hardy. Well, I think if it was not extended, I think
the effect on our organization is really that our church, as
established overseas and where, as I indicated, it has been
established for less than a generation, would suffer because of
the training that the young men and women who come here on
these visas are able to receive in this country, and to observe
and to work with the lay leadership here and in building up the
church there. As our church everywhere is governed by its local
people, they would suffer from not having this opportunity of
learning and leadership here.
Senator Abraham. Rabbi Weil.
Rabbi Weil. The ramifications would be catastrophic
specifically in the area of youth work and in primary and
secondary education. Close to a third of the educators come via
this Act, via the Religious Workers Act, and we just have a
shortage in the United States of proper educators who have the
pedagogic skills and who are dynamic, and that is why we have
this opportunity to work with the kids both in school formally
and after school. Just to be repetitive, terribly catastrophic.
Senator Abraham. Cardinal Maida.
Cardinal Maida. In our church, we are involved in serving
our immigrants as they come into a new culture and a new
country, and we believe that their faith needs to be
strengthened and within the culture here they need to be
sustained. I think it would be a terrible, terrible mistake if
this were not extended or made permanent because it is the poor
people that would suffer, the people most in need, most looking
for direction.
If we are not there to help them and we don't have the
resources to help these poor people, I just think it is shame
on America. I just think it would be very self-serving and I
just think that the spirit of America is not that kind of a
spirit. I think we need to have open hearts and open arms and
welcome the people, and then provide whatever resources we can
to sustain them and help them. It has worked in the past. We
are an immigrant country, we are an immigrant church, and we
need to be there for our people.
Senator Abraham. I agree. You know, I have to say it is
interesting. I was trying as we have gone through this hearing
today and listened to each of you to sort of turn back the
clock in my own mind to our last reauthorization or extension
of this program, remembering at the time as part of the
hearing, but then later as part of the negotiations to try to
get an extension to occur as opposed to our unsuccessful
efforts to make the program permanent, hearing the array of
concerns and criticisms, some of which Elder Hardy in
particular addressed here.
I have to make the statement that I am struck by the fact
that here we are several years later and I have neither seen
nor have I heard any evidence of the kinds of claims that had
been made as the basis for not making the program permanent
back then. So here we are again, I hope, for the last time,
much as we appreciate each of you being participants.
The one thing that does sort of unfortunately come into
play in this debate of making any of these categories either
permanent or broader, and so on, is a kind of broader issue
that we have been hearing lately in the immigration debates
that we have had before this committee and in Washington, of
course, and that is the argument or contention that somehow
immigrants, whether they are temporarily here or permanently
here, are weakening either our culture or our economy, somehow
taking away jobs, et cetera, and in some way or another a net
negative to America.
I just was wondering if each of you might just from the
perspective of your own institutions comment on this topic,
specifically whether immigrants and their families are hurting
or helping the spiritual, the moral, the cultural, or the
economic life of your churches, your communities, or America.
Rabbi Weil, maybe we will start with you.
Rabbi Weil. I would disagree with that one hundred percent.
If you look at the immigrants in the Jewish community, what
they have done is they have given flavor and life to the
community. They have carried their weight, they have been
contributing members to society, and it has not been by taking
other people's jobs away in no way, shape or form. I just have
to disagree with those attacks.
Senator Abraham. Elder Hardy.
Elder Hardy. Well, as has been mentioned by my brethren, we
are a nation of immigrants and the opportunity to have these
non-immigrant religious workers in this country increases the
diversity, the richness of our society, and the fabric of our
society. Within our own church, to have these young people here
from other countries certainly contributes to the richness of
our own worship.
And, in addition, with regard to the issues of employment,
as I indicated in my statement, the young workers that come
here are not employed, are not taking any jobs from anyone in
any way, shape, or form, and are not in any employed by anybody
and are supported otherwise by the church.
Senator Abraham. Cardinal Maida.
Cardinal Maida. I would like to perhaps focus on myown
personal situation. My father came from Poland, an immigrant, at 16
years old. Three sons were born of the marriage. I am a Cardinal in the
Roman Catholic Church and serve the church locally in Detroit and
nationally in the United States helping the Holy Father. So I think I
have opportunities here to make a great contribution not only to our
local community but to society and to our culture.
My brother is a priest, and he serves well in Pittsburgh
and has a large congregation and has a great spiritual
influence upon the people and the community. And my third
brother is educated and a big businessman in Pittsburgh and
doing wonderful work and has a marvelous family.
I just think that every immigrant has those opportunities
in the United States. That makes our land so special because we
have recognized, according to our Constitution, that we have
been all endowed with our human dignity by God with inalienable
rights, and that every human being needs to be respected and
given the opportunity. And we need to respect the immigrants
and welcome them into our society, into our fabric, and when we
do that we all become richer for it.
Senator Abraham. Well said.
As I said at the outset, I don't want to keep people here
longer than had been promised, and so I was going to refrain
from the lengthy opening statement that I would have otherwise
given. But I do want to conclude actually by drawing from the
letter which the Cardinal entered into the record that I
received just a couple of years ago from Mother Teresa.
She wrote me at that time and said, ``Dear Senator Abraham,
I am writing to ask you to help us in solving a very urgent
problem. My Sisters in New York have told me that the law which
allows the Sisters to apply for permanent residence in the
United States expires on September 30, 1997. Please, will you
do what you can to have that law extended so that all religious
workers will continue to have the opportunity to be permanent
residents and serve the people of your great country. It means
so much to our people to have Sisters who are understand them
and their culture. It takes a long time for a Sister to
understand the people and a culture. So now our Society wants
to keep our Sisters in their mission countries on a more long-
term basis. Please help us and our poor by extending this law.
I am praying for you and the people of Michigan. My Sisters
serve the poor in Detroit, where we have a soup kitchen and
night shelter for women. Let us all thank God for this chance
to serve His poor.'' Signed, ``Mother Teresa.''
I received this letter, as Cardinal Maida indicated, only a
few weeks ago before Mother Teresa died, and in honor of her
great deeds for humanity, I hope that this year we can finally
extend the religious workers provision of the Immigration and
Naturalization Act permanently. I think this hearing is an
important step in that process.
So I really look forward to working with my colleagues here
on the subcommittee and the full Judiciary Committee, as well
as the full Senate and ultimately the rest of Congress, to try
to get this job done once and for all. We have a lot of, I
think, issues with respect to immigration, challenges that we
confront. We have problems that we have to deal with. This
subcommittee unfortunately often hears from witnesses who talk
about immigration problems, whether it is illegal immigration
or difficulties that have transpired with respect to
naturalizing citizens.
This is an area where we don't have problems. It is an area
which enriches the United States. It is a set of visas that
make a difference to the spiritual life and the cultural life
of our communities and that renews our religions who take
advantage of it. And inasmuch as there are no problems here,
other than the simple problem that the calendar runs out every
so often to make this program non-existent requiring us to have
to renew it, it just seems to me that for once we ought to take
the sort of action that is both decisive and appropriate, and
in this case it is to make the program permanent so that the
problem of having to renew this program is no longer a problem.
We can do that. I look forward to working to achieve it,
and I want to commit to our witnesses today and those of you
who have taken the time to be with us that we are going to do
our very best to not only extend the program but to make it
permanent. I want to thank everybody for being here, and at
this point we will adjourn the hearing.
Thank you all.
[Whereupon, at 3:43 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
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