'Holy Family' Caged At Church's Migrant Detention Protest

NEW LONDON, CT—Rector of St. James Episcopal Church in New London the Rev. Ranjit Mathews told The Day if the Holy Family were "...crossing over from Central American countries to the United States today, they would be put in these internment camps like the migrant children and families."

Saying its action during the national Lights For Liberty vigils in protest over migrant detention is "Our witness to the Gospel," the church made a powerful if controversial statement, by placing statues depicting the "Holy Family," inside of cages Friday.

The point the church was making, as has been seen across the country, is that according to the Bible, Mary, Joseph and Jesus were escaping persecution when they crossed into Egypt, a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew that tells following a visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus as Herod was looking for the infant to kill him.

America Magazine answered the question were Jesus, Mary and Joseph refugees and the answer was "yes." Though not everyone agrees a comparison can be made to today's immigration status in the U.S. to that of the Biblical felling Holy Family.

"A family is forced to flee their homeland for fear of persecution. This is the classic modern-day definition of a refugee," the magazine wrote, adding the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says "A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group."

Many though counter that those being held in detention are more migrant than refugee but in Connecticut and elsewhere, many gathered as part of Lights For Liberty.

Founded in 1725, St. James Episcopal Church is a "forward-looking urban parish, grounded in the sacramental and liturgical life of The Book of Common Prayer, the Holy Scripture, and the Anglican tradition. We strive to be a faithful community that lives out our baptismal vows."

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