by Elizabeth A. Elliott
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One hundred women will walk 100 miles to greet the pope in Washington, D.C. and ensure their message of dignity and justice for immigrant women, families and communities is at the center of the pope's conversation.
They will start their walk from the York Detention Center in Pennsylvania on Sept. 15 and walk between 10 and 15 miles each day. They will reach Baltimore on Sept. 19, arriving in Washington, D.C., for a prayer vigil on Sept. 22, the day before the pope is scheduled to meet at the White House.
The Women's Pilgrimage for Migrant Justice was announced by We Belong Together, #Not1More Campaign, PICO and others on Aug. 12.
Alejandra Suacedo, from Dreamers Moms in Florida, said the pope’s words have been a balm for immigrants.
"We need leaders to hear the call to recognize the contributions of dignity of those who come here for a better life," she said in the press release. “We hope the Pope will put migration at the center of his remarks to the President and Congress.”
Juana Flores, co-director of Mujeres Unidas y Activas in California, a former nun and domestic worker, is participating in the walk.
“We have much work to do to bring about the world of dignity the Pope describes, but we believe each step on our hundred mile journey will bring us another step closer,” she said in the press release.
