By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A nativity display at a Massachusetts Catholic church has ignited national controversy after replacing the traditional Holy Family with a sign reading “ICE was here.” The provocative installation at St. Susanna’s Parish suggests Jesus, Mary and Joseph were taken by immigration agents — a message intended to spotlight the suffering of migrant families but one that prompted intense pushback from federal officials and the Archdiocese of Boston.
Rev. Stephen Josoma, pastor of the parish, said the display was inspired by conversations with refugee families his church assists. “These are folks who carry a lot of scars… They’ve seen their folks killed in front of them,” he told WBUR, explaining that the nativity reimagining was meant to connect the biblical story to the realities facing immigrants today.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons sharply condemned the display, calling it “abhorrent” and accusing Josoma of advancing a “dangerous narrative” that he claims has contributed to a dramatic rise in assaults on ICE officers. Lyons also praised the Archdiocese for publicly denouncing the scene.
The Archdiocese of Boston, which says it did not grant permission for the display, called it “divisive political messaging” and a violation of norms governing sacred imagery. Church leaders noted that nativity figures are intended solely to foster devotion, not political commentary. Still, the Archdiocese reaffirmed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ longstanding support for humane immigration reform, stating, “Human dignity and national security are not in conflict.”
The Department of Homeland Security also criticized the church, with a spokesperson calling the depiction “offensive” and insisting ICE “does not separate families.” However, a recent ProPublica report documented nearly 600 immigrant children placed in federal shelters this year — the highest total in a decade — including a 13-year-old Everett boy detained and transferred to a Virginia facility.
Rev. Josoma has not commented further as pressure mounts for the display’s removal.