US EditionDedham church says it will keep ‘ICE was here’ nativity display pending a meeting with Boston’s Archbishop
St. Susanna Parish aims to highlight immigrant hardships with a nativity scene replacing the Holy Family with an 'ICE was here' sign, pending dialogue with Archbishop Henning.
- St. Susanna Parish's pastor, Rev. Stephen Josoma, said the church's nativity display replaced the holy family with a sign reading 'ICE was here' to highlight social issues of the times, mirroring the Vatican's themed nativities.
- The Archdiocese of Boston said 'genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship' should not be replaced by 'divisive political messaging' when people visit a church.
- Parishioners supported the controversial display, stating it reflects Jesus' teachings of welcoming all people and challenging unjust policies of the current US administration.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Boston Archdiocese Admonishes Pastor To Remove ICE Message From Manger
Calling it a "politically divisive display," the Boston Archdiocese has asked a local suburban parish to remove a Nativity scene that substitutes images of the Holy Family with an empty manger." Via National Catholic Reporter: "ICE was here," reads the large sign that accompanies an empty manger outside St. Susanna Church in Dedham, Massachusetts, referring to immigration raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "The Holy Fam…
Anti-ICE Nativities Take a Stand Against Trump’s Cruelty
This past Friday, December 5, the Archdiocese of Boston asked St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, to remove its nativity scene. The crèche features the shepherds and the Wise Men, but no Holy Family — no Jesus, Mary, or Joseph. In their place is a sign that reads: “ICE WAS HERE.” A text below includes the number for the LUCE defense hotline, run by the Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts, which monitors and confirms Immigration a…
catholicworldreport.com
Catholic News AgencyBoston-area pastor refuses to remove anti-ICE Nativity scene, seeks meeting with archbishop
Boston, Massachusetts, Dec 9, 2025 / 11:00 am The pastor of a Catholic parish near Boston says an anti-immigration-enforcement display in its Nativity scene will stay up at least for the time being, and he [...]
Archdiocese orders removal of church's 'divisive' Nativity display — but church leaders are dragging their feet
A Catholic church's Nativity display criticizing the administration's immigration policies was ordered to be removed by the Boston Archdiocese, but church leaders are trying to stall the decision. The Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, has displayed an empty Nativity scene with a sign reading, "ICE was here," implying that the biblical figures were dragged away for detention. There's also a sign with a phone number people can call if…
The leaders of a Catholic church in Massachusetts have decided to maintain a controversial nativity scene that includes a message against the Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE), despite criticism and an order from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to remove it. The nativity scene in the parish of St. Sussana (Santa Susana) in the town of Dedham replaces the traditional figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph with a poster that says in Engl…
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