Welcome the Stranger Ministry
Contact: Larry Buettner
larrybuettner@outlook.com
847-507-0076
Myra Buettner
myrabuettner@outlook.com
847-609-3682
Holy Family has a long history of supporting Catholic social teaching through our various ministries, Lenten social justice programs and local community outreach.
The Welcome the Stranger Ministry is an extension of Holy Family’s mission statement. We look to address the humanitarian and spiritual needs of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers as they seek status in the United States. We recognize the dignity of every man, woman, and child as they seek the basic need of shelter, jobs, and security as they progress through this trying process.
Our efforts reflect the Church’s call to welcome the stranger while respecting and supporting the United States’ process to obtain legal status. Our goal is to provide a compassionate bridge between these two. requirements.
Engagement
The Welcome the Stranger ministry, through education, understanding and involvement, strives to clarify the status of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. We offer educational seminars and volunteer opportunities for those in our community willing to help those in need of a voice. Contact the ministry leaders for more information on how you can be involved.
Understanding
Dr. Khan is the Muslim faith leader for the Children of Abraham Coalition. He belongs to the Islamic Education Center in Glendale Heights, IL. He previously served as the Youth Director of the Islamic Education Center for 8 years and currently has been teaching Senior Level Islamic Theology. By profession, Dr. Khan is a clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Medicine. He shares his family’s journey as immigrants to this country and the challenges they faced in assimilating here.
Holy Family has partnered with Exodus World Service to resettle three refuge families in the northwest suburbs. We have provided essential household staples and participated in the New Neighbor program to help families assimilate in their new country.
The Amos Family
The Nigerian family arrived in the US in 2023 after spending 10 years in a refugee camp in Cameroon, after fleeing their country’s civil war. Through the New Neighbor program, two Holy Family couples assisted them in their adjustment to a new culture. Initially meeting weekly, the family bonded with their New Neighbors through conversation, food and games.
Viator House of Hospitality, established in 2017 by the Clerics of St. Viator, provides a supportive living environment for young male immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. They offer essential services such as housing, food, medical attention, and case management, helping these individuals improve their language skills and grow spiritually while they await court proceedings for their asylum cases. Since its inception, Viator House has supported over 110 young men from various countries, creating a community grounded in faith and civic partnerships. To learn more, download their sponsorship flyer, and support this critical work by making a tax-deductible contribution today! Volunteers are needed to work directly with participants to tutor them, to mentor them and to drive them to school and jobs.
Chalice House is a shared project led by Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist and a coalition of partners. It provides community-based housing to immigrants seeking legal protection in the U.S. from some sort of serious threat (war, violence, persecution) in their home country. Established in 2020, Chalice House has so far hosted two families and one young man seeking asylum in the U.S. All of them were able to move into an apartment of their own after learning English, receiving their work permits, learning their way around, and, most importantly, developing a community of friends. Check out their website for volunteer opportunities. https://ccuu.org/chalicehouse/. They are always in need of drivers to take the residents to their ESL classes.