At Holy Spirit Parish in Palmyra, the gentle hum of conversation gave way to quiet reflection as parishioners gathered to hear stories of faith and resilience from those who have walked the often difficult road of migration. The evening, which featured personal testimony from José Castro and remarks from Father Allan Wolfe, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Chambersburg, offered both a witness of perseverance and a call to deeper compassion.
“I believe God uses our stories for a purpose,” Castro said. “Even the painful ones.”
Born in Peru, he shared memories of a happy childhood that changed abruptly when his mother and two siblings, facing a challenging domestic situation and changing political climate, fled to the United States in search of safety and stability.
What followed were years of hardship and uncertainty as the family struggled to make ends meet, learn English and found themselves in another abusive situation. Castro explained that there were many nights when his mother wept in secret as she worked long hours to provide for her family, but even in those dark times, “God always found His way to us, often through people who showed up like guardian angels.”
From neighbors who brought food and gifts, to a Lancaster couple who took them in when they had nowhere else to go, Castro’s story showed Christ’s love woven through human kindness.
“When we had nothing,” he said, “God reminded us we were not forgotten.”
That sense of being seen and loved deepened when his family found a spiritual home at San Juan Bautista Parish in Lancaster.
“God was there when (the late) Msgr. Thomas Smith found my mom crying in church and sent her to Father (Allan) Wolfe,” Castro recalled. “At San Juan, we finally found community and faith again after so many years of being alone.”
Father Wolfe, current pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Chambersburg, who served as pastor of San Juan Bautista for more than 20 years, added that our perspective can play a significant role in how we approach social topics, including immigration.
“We’re not here to give Church teaching tonight,” he said. “We’re here to share experience. Perspective is key…and the one who gives us the best perspective is Jesus.”
Citing Matthew’s Gospel, Father Wolfe spoke about seeing Christ in those who hunger, thirst or suffer. “In a country that is so blessed, we should be able to come up with just and compassionate policies,” he said. “The perspective we have affects our actions.”
Reflecting on his years of ministry among immigrant families, Father Wolfe noted that the Latino community in the Diocese of Harrisburg is rich and diverse.
“Lancaster County has the greatest concentration of Latinos in the Diocese,” he said. “And Latino is not monolithic—at San Juan Bautista alone, we have 14 different cultures represented. It’s a beautiful mosaic of faith.”
For Castro, who works with the Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program, that mosaic continues to inspire him. He encounters families every day who face struggles similar to his own, and many with far greater hardships.
“I hear stories of parents risking everything for their children—crossing jungles and deserts, fleeing violence and corruption,” he said. “And I ask God, ‘Why?’ But then I remember what Father Wolfe always told us: God is good, and so are we.”
“When your heart stirs to pity, when you feel moved to help someone in need,” Castro said, “that is Christ Himself speaking to you: ‘Whatever you do for the least of these, you do also for me.’”
Castro and Father Wolfe were the guest speakers for the Common Grounds program of Holy Spirit Parish. To learn more about this ministry, visit https://holyspiritpalmyra.com/migrant-justice.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Rachel Bryson, The Catholic Witness
