A group of Sparkill Dominican Sisters and friends joined over 100 local residents for a rally in Nanuet, NY on May 1, 2017 in support of the rights of workers, immigrants and all people.
The rally was held in the town of Nanuet at the “4 corners” – one of the area’s busiest intersections, and participants were met with much support from motorists passing by.
Two Sisters who attended the rally shared their experiences:
“A wonderful mixture of people were present from all walks of life, all religions, and all ethnicities. One main chant was, “No ban, no wall, we want freedom for us all!” We covered all 4 corners of the intersection. Lots of traffic went by and we got many honks and waves from those passing in cars. There were very few negative responses. Attending rallies and marches gives me a surge of energy to continue my work, as a Catholic Sister, for peace and justice. When I go to teach class tonight at One to One Learning, I’ll be thrilled to tell our students that there were many people out there supporting them and the rights of their families!” ~ Sister Cecilia LaPietra (Executive Director of One to One Learning)
“Today, on the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker, I joined with some of our Sisters to stand together for the rights of workers, immigrants, and all people right here in Rockland County, NY. May we ask St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of Workers, to pray for all those seeking just employment.” ~ Sr. Patricia Hogan
Dominican Sisters and friends at the May Day Rally in Nanuet, NY, 5/1/17. Sr. Cecilia LaPietra is pictured front left and Sr. Patricia Hogan is pictured front right.
The rally was organized by the Rockland Immigration Coalition and co-sponsored in part by the Sisters’ One to One Learning, Inc., a ministry which provides English language classes and other supportive services to Rockland County area immigrants.
See local news coverage of the rally and other photos by the Rockland Journal News here.