Josh McGovern

On the stage of Annunciation Catholic School's auditorium in Minneapolis, Jesse and Mollie Merkel walked to the podium to express their gratitude for the community that filled the space in front of them. Looking out, they saw people who had supported them since day one, Jesse Merkel said.

An interfaith gathering of faith leaders in Minneapolis Jan. 8 drew a crowd as faith leaders raised concerns about the impact immigration enforcement actions are having on people in the community, including Catholic parishes in Minneapolis.

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Fr. Christopher Collins from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul led the prayer service, which was held as federal officials conducted an immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities.

Annunciation families demanding change include Malia Kimbrell, who during a news conference Sept. 14 at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis urged local lawmakers to fund mental health support, improve measures on background checks and place an immediate ban on semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. Kimbrell's daughter, Vivian St. Clair, was among the children wounded in the Aug. 27 shooting.

"The community that was there put aside differences and helped one another," said Bishop Kevin Kenney.

Scott Kieffer, the director of discipleship for St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Community in Maple Grove, Minnesota, is 29 lakes away from completing his endeavor to pray a rosary in the 250 to 300 lakes in the Twin Cities urban metro area.