Bishop Eases Mass Attendance Requirements Amid Immigration Raid Fears

San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas has lifted the obligation for Mass attendance for those who fear immigration raids, reflecting growing concerns in the community as enforcement actions escalate.

The Diocese of San Bernardino has issued a statement granting parishioners permission to forgo attending Mass due to fears regarding federal immigration raids. Bishop Alberto Rojas, who oversees a Roman Catholic community of approximately 1.6 million individuals in Southern California, outlined this provision in a letter dated Tuesday. He noted that members who experience a “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions” during Sunday or holiday Masses are “dispensed from this obligation.”

This decision marks a significant action, typically reserved for exceptional circumstances such as the Covid pandemic. The San Bernardino diocese, situated around 60 miles east of Los Angeles, is among those adjusting liturgical obligations in response to the increasing frequency of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations across the nation.

Since the initiation of the current administration's immigration policies, nearly 2,000 individuals have been apprehended in the Los Angeles region alone starting June 6. Reports have surfaced of ICE agents detaining individuals in a variety of public spaces—parking lots of shopping centers, car washes, and bus stops. Alarmingly, incidents such as armed detentions outside churches, including a recent case in Downey, have raised serious concerns among local pastors and community members regarding the safety of attending services.

Earlier this year, the Nashville diocese also announced that individuals would not be obligated to attend Mass if their safety was at risk due to similar immigration raids. The trend highlights a growing awareness among the clergy of the fears confronting their communities, leading to these rare dispensation measures.