Immigration Complexities

Just two weeks ago, with the support of fellow churches and the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, we raised $88,000 in just 24 hours to house 167 Sudanese refugees. Your generosity provided them with two months of rent, giving them time to find jobs and begin new lives in our community.

Now, Catholic Charities has reached out to us for guidance as they launch a similar fundraising effort within the Roman Catholic community. This time, rather than asking for your donations, we are simply offering our support. St. John’s will receive funds on their behalf and, using our established digital match program with the duPont Fund, ensure that every dollar raised is matched. This is a powerful witness to how Christians across denominations can work together to serve those in need.

Learn more about Immigration

You may be wondering why so many Sudanese refugees have arrived in Jacksonville and how immigration policy shapes these resettlements. To help us understand these complex issues, parishioner and former U.S. ambassador John Caulfield will lead a three-session class, “Immigration Complexities,” exploring the history of U.S. immigration policy, the border crisis, and potential solutions.

Dates and Topics
Sunday, March 30 – The Evolution of U.S. Immigration Policy (1924–2017)
Listen to the recording.

Sunday, April 6 – Crisis at the Border: What Happened, Why, and How It Will End (2017–2025)
Listen to the recording.

Sunday, April 13 – How to Bring Order Out of Chaos: How a New Immigration Policy Would Serve U.S. Interests
Listen to the recording.

Where & When
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Taliaferro Hall

What to expect
Each session consists of a 40-minute presentation followed by 20 minutes of Q&A.

About John Caulfield

John Caulfield is a retired Foreign Service officer who represented the United States in nine countries on four continents over a career of 40 years.  He ended his career as Chief of the US Mission in Havana, Cuba in 2014.  Prior to Havana, he also served as Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Caracas.  He retired in Jacksonville along with his wife Nancy, who is also retired from the U.S. Department of State.  During his career, John specialized in the geographic region of Latin America and the Consular function, which involves services to Americans abroad and issuing visas to foreign citizens who want to visit or immigrate to the United States.  In the course of his career, he supervised the largest immigrant processing offices abroad at the American Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines. He also served as the Department of State’s liaison with the US Congress on immigration and citizenship issues.