By Jay Sorgi • Posted August 27, 2026

The late Pope Francis and his successor Pope Leo XIV have both urged Catholics around the world to accompany immigrants with compassion and encourage other people to do the same.

The Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration at Villanova University, the Holy Father’s alma mater, joins the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Catholic IMMpact in hosting what is called the Regional Gathering – Witness to Hope: Pastoral Care of Immigrant Communities. Leaders from across the Mid-Atlantic states are being invited to join Philadelphians at the conference.

It will take place Thursday, Sept. 17 from 1 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Ortiz Hall on the new Villanova University Cabrini Campus, located at 610 King of Prussia Road in Radnor which is almost two miles away from the university’s main campus.

The campus is named after the former site of Cabrini University, whose namesake was an immigrant to America who dedicated her life to serving immigrants and other under-resourced people. Her ministries helped many in Philadelphia.

“It’s a fitting spot to be doing this, and she’s the patron saint of immigrants and the first American saint,” said Michele Pistone, a professor of law at Villanova University and the founding faculty director of the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration.

“Pope Leo as our leader is calling us as Catholics to walk with people, to appreciate their dignity, to build bridges. That’s really the goal of this, to bring Pope Leo’s words and his objectives to action, convert it to action on the ground.”

She said two national organizations called the Hope Border Initiative and the Center for Migration Studies have been collaborating with dioceses to host events designed to help parishes and other local Church leaders to stand beside immigrants during the current crisis.

“They’re working with dioceses in the communities to have them be prepared in the event that parishioners face immigration enforcement, and also to help parishioners understand how to protect themselves in the event that they’re concerned about immigration enforcement,” said Pistone, who is also the faculty director of VISTA, the Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates.

The impetus for the Mother Cabrini Institute and upcoming conference stemmed from a meeting Pope Francis held with university and college educators at the Vatican. He told them about the need to do more teaching, research and promotion of the cause of migrants and refugees.

Pistone attended a similar conference five years later at the Vatican where Pope Francis hosted an audience that inspired Pistone to start the institute.

“I was sitting in the front row and Pope Francis again called on colleges and universities to do this work. I swear it was as if he was talking to me,” Pistone said. “I’m a person who’s been working on migration at a university for more than 20 years and I (thought), he wants me to do this.”

Augustinian Father John Lydon, the Director of the Mother Cabrini Institute, will present one of a series of afternoon talks on Thursday, the first day of the conference, to catechize attendees on Catholic Social Teaching, immigration enforcement and knowing one’s legal rights.

Thursday’s events include an evening Mass celebrated by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, whose parents immigrated from Cuba. Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Cooke will give a talk before Mass that day.

Bishop Bruce Lewandowski of Providence, Rhode Island and a Redemptorist priest who served in Philadelphia from 2005 until 2015, will give the keynote talk Thursday evening after dinner. He has spoken at numerous immigration events across the United States.

Bishop Lewandowski has spoken out often in support of immigrants, and led a pilgrimage this year to Washington, D.C. to advocate for immigration reform.

Friday’s session will include talks by leaders from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Hope Border Institute, Catholic IMMpact and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on how dioceses and parishes can build a plan to accompany migrants in moments of struggle and fear in the current immigration enforcement climate.

“We’re trying to help people create those plans for the diocese, create that structure, and then be able to invite people of goodwill in so that they can become part of the solution,” Pistone said. “We want to be a resource for them so that they can live their faith.”

She added that in this time when many more immigrants live with greater anxiety about being detained and deported than in the past, they need people of faith to accompany them, listen to them, and be their advocate.

“A lot of people are living in immense fear,” Pistone said. “These are people who are part of our communities. They’re parishioners. They’re members of our communities. I think the bishops are very clear in their statement that we’re walking with you and we need to support you.”

Click here for registration and more information on the Regional Gathering – Witness to Hope: Pastoral Care of Immigrant Communities.