By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
The U.S. government has abruptly decided to end more than 60-years of relationship with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami. This partnership began with Operation “Pedro Pan,” which, under the direction of then-young Irish priest, Monsignor Bryant O. Walsh, helped resettle some 14,000 Cuban children sent alone to this country by desperate parents seeking to protect them from communist indoctrination.
From 1960 to today, the Archdiocese has worked closely with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide shelter and other services to thousands of UMCs (unaccompanied minor children) of all nationalities. Today, a facility in Palmetto Bay, named the Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, can house up to 81 minors. The program assists in placing children in foster care, reuniting them with family members, and providing supportive services. Given the trauma that many of these children have endured before arriving in the U.S., psychological care is also provided.
The positive impact of this cooperation between the federal government and Catholic Charities can be readily seen in the lives of former Pedro Pan children who, through this intervention, grew up to be successful members of our communities. Among the Pedro Pan “alumni” are business leaders, politicians (including a former senator), academics, doctors, lawyers, priests, and bishops.
For more than 60 years, the Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country. Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors has been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months.
It is true that the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country has decreased. It is also understandable that some programs may be scaled back or even eliminated. But given the history and reputation of the Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, it is baffling that the U.S. government would shut down a program that it would be hard-pressed to replicate at the level of competence and excellence that Catholic Charities has achieved if and when future waves of unaccompanied minors reach our shores.
ORR (the Office of Refugee Resettlement), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), includes in its mission the promotion of the health, well-being, and stability of unaccompanied alien children. ORR is pledged to act in the best interest of the child. This alone should call for a review of the decision to shut down this legacy and signature program.
