Oct. 11, 2026 | The Impact of Immigration – Welcoming the Stranger

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Christopher Gunty speaks with Missionary of Jesus Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, about immigration, poverty and the Catholic call to welcome the stranger.

Sister Norma describes her decades of service at the southern border and explains how Catholic Charities supports vulnerable families. The organization provides emergency assistance, including food, shelter, and support for people facing homelessness; and addresses food insecurity, housing insecurity, and family separation.

She explains that immigration is only one part of Catholic Charities’ broader mission. The agency also works with other faith communities, civic groups and local organizations to respond to disasters and address the needs of struggling families.

The conversation explores why safe and legal immigration pathways matter. Sister Norma shares the dangers migrants face when crossing the Rio Grande and discusses the importance of protecting human dignity throughout the immigration process.

She also speaks about the Church’s responsibility to defend every person made in God’s image. For Sister Norma, healing the divisions surrounding immigration begins with faith, compassion and a willingness to see immigrants as neighbors, brothers and sisters.

In advance of Sister Norma’s visit to Maryland as keynote speaker in the Catholic Charities of Baltimore symposium Oct. 21 at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, this episode offers a thoughtful look at Catholic social teaching and the work of serving people in need.

Host: Christopher Gunty

Guest: MIssionary of Jesus Sister Norma Pimentel

Producer: Christopher Gunty

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