Amidst sweeping I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids across the U.S.A. another Catholic diocese grants a dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation for immigrants fearing deportation. The Diocese of Baton Rouge, becomes the fourth U.S. diocese to permit a dispensation.
Bishop Duca's Statement Regarding Mass Obligations
December 5, 2025
by Bishop Michael Duca
04 December 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Recently, I joined the Bishops of the United States in issuing a pastoral letter expressing our concerns regarding the current, disturbing climate of fear and anxiety experienced by many in our communities due to mass expulsions. It is in this environment – and with a heavy heart – that I am compelled to write to the faithful of Baton Rouge in this time of uncertainty.
With the recent publicized arrival of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers into south Louisiana and greater Baton Rouge, and since many of the faithful genuinely fear immigration enforcement actions, thereby making it untenable for them to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, I hereby grant a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for those Catholics rightfully afraid to participate in Mass because of their fear. This dispensation will be valid until the individual Catholic determines it is safe to attend Mass again or this dispensation is revoked or amended.
Those who choose to stay at home should gather as a family and spend time in prayer to keep the Lord’s Day holy. Reading the daily Mass readings, praying the rosary, or reciting a novena for intercessory protection are all suitable alternative spiritual practices for those accepting this dispensation.
These expulsions are affecting not only our Catholic Hispanic brothers and sisters but also refugees and immigrants of all denominations from other nations who form the rich tapestry of our local communities. These are our neighbors, coworkers, and parishioners.
National security and the protection of human dignity are not incompatible. We must advocate for a just solution to this difficult situation in our country. But for now, let us pray for those immediately affected, especially during this Advent season – a time in which we should be anticipating the joy of Christmas, surrounded by our family in celebration, instead of the experience of anxiety and fear. As Pope Leo XIV reminds us, “God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest” (Dilexi te, §16). Through our prayers and actions, may those who are suffering know that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them.
Hope in the Lord,
Most Reverend Michael Duca
Bishop of Baton Rouge
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