Chicago, IL (December 13, 2006) - At 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 17, representatives of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Priests for Justice for Immigrants will be joined by Most Rev. John R. Manz, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, to pray with area Catholics participating in the 20th annual Archdiocesan Posada at Holy Name Cathedral, State and Superior Streets, Chicago.

Each Advent season, Hispanic Catholics around the world hold these reenactments of the efforts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph to find shelter, or posada, prior to Jesus’ birth. “In Chicago, the first Archdiocesan Posada was held in 1987 after many immigrants were disqualified from the legalization/amnesty program of 1986, yet were still welcomed to the church,” said Elena Segura, Director of the Archdiocese’s Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform.

We are a Church that Welcomes Everyone; Twenty Years of Solidarity and Commitment with Immigrant People is the theme for this year’s multi-cultural posada, which will include participants from the Archdiocese’s Spanish, Polish and Asian parishes. The evening’s program will be in English, Spanish and Polish, and a multilingual rosary will be said in these same languages as well as Arabic, Tagalog and Swahili.

Participants, many wearing traditional costumes symbolic of the country’s rich diversity of immigrants, will begin candlelight processions at 6 p.m. from three locations: Chestnut and State, LaSalle and Chicago and Ontario and Dearborn. They will be greeted and have the front doors of Holy Name Cathedral opened for them at 6:15 p.m. by Bishop Manz and representatives of the Priests for Justice for Immigrants, allowing them to process inside to the prayer service.

For additional information please contact Elena Segura at esegura@archchicago.org or 312--5333.