Judy Dohner

Judy Dohner is a Sister of the Humility of Mary from Villa Maria, Pennsylvania. She has worked with migrants and immigrants for the past 30 years. She returned to the United States in 2018 after ministering in Haiti for 16 years and currently works with Haitian immigrants and refugees in Immokalee, Florida. She has written for Global Sisters Report and the National Catholic Reporter.

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Children in Haiti receive food aid.

Today, the flight into Egypt continues

As the Christmas season ends, let us remember that millions of refugees around the world await our kindness and compassion as they "flee into Egypt."

Luis Reyes, an employee of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice, inspects damage to his home in Fort Meyers, Fla., Oct 5, after Hurricane Ian brought at least 3 inches of rain into the residence Sept. 28. (CNS/Tom Tracy)

After Hurricane Ian, the invisible people remain

As news of the Hurricane Ian fades from public attention, we cannot forget the long-term suffering left all over Florida. And let us never forget the invisible people who are always among us.

A refugee family from Haiti celebrates Christmas at a soup kitchen in Immokalee, Florida. The twins were born two weeks after the family arrived in the country. (Judy Dohner)

In Immokalee's immigrant community, the Christmas story unfolds among us

In a modern Christmas story, refugee families from Chile and Brazil travel more than 7,000 miles, mostly on foot, for two or three months. They're seeking new lives in Florida, but often find there's no room at the inn.

Migrants from Central America and Haiti walk in a caravan Oct. 25 near Huehuetan, Mexico. People were headed to Mexico City where they planned to apply for asylum and refugee status. (CNS/Reuters/Jacob Garcia)

The Haitian migrant crisis: What would Jesus say?

Months ago, a Catholic women’s group invited me to speak at their luncheon about my work with the Haitian people. My presentation was later canceled. The following is what I had planned to share, as spoken in words that Jesus might have used.

In Haiti the seeds of democracy need tending