INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis church has displayed statues of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in a cage to send a message about the nation’s current immigration crisis.
Christ Church Cathedral put up the display on their lawn overnight. The display has a sign saying #EveryFamilyIsHoly and its Spanish translation, #CadaFamiliaEsSagrada.
“On our lawn tonight we placed The Holy Family…in #ICE detention,” the church posted on its Twitter page.
It has not yet been said how long the display will remain, but church officials have suggested it remain up if families continue to be detained. The strong stance taken by the church shows their adamant opinion against the separation of families at the U.S. border.
On Sunday, the church tweeted, “We pray for those families separated at the border. May God protect them and watch over them.”
Stephen Carlsen the dean of Christ Church Cathedral said that the church was very concerned about what has been going on in the United States, particularly as it relates to immigrants seeking a better life, according to WXIN.
“Our job as faithful people is to welcome people with mercy,” according to Carlsen. “Our religious images are supposed to remind us where God’s heart is. God’s heart is compassion. With people who are in need, and our heart should be there, too.”
Hundreds gathered over the weekend near the Indiana Statehouse to take part in a nationwide protest against family separation. President Donald Trump issued an executive order intended to stop the separation of families.