Rhode Island clergy travel to Washington for immigration reform advocacy

CRANSTON, R.I. — A group of more than 30 clergy members and parishioners from across Rhode Island boarded a bus in Cranston before sunrise Thursday for a trip to Washington, D.C., where they plan to advocate for immigration reform.

The delegation, led by Providence Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, departed around 5 a.m. from Holy Apostles Parish as part of what church leaders describe as a “Pilgrimage of Prayer and Advocacy.”

The group includes priests, deacons, religious leaders and lay members representing the Diocese of Providence, which serves more than one million people across Rhode Island.

While in Washington, the Rhode Island delegation is expected to meet with members of the state’s congressional delegation and join other Catholic groups from around the country making similar visits to Capitol Hill.

“We can do better,” Lewandowski said. “Loving our neighbor as Jesus calls us to means recognizing the dignity of every person — including our immigrant brothers and sisters. Immigration reform should respect that dignity and help keep families together.”

As part of the visit, Lewandowski is scheduled to lead the group in praying the Rosary outside the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center at 1 p.m.

The trip to Washington comes as the Diocese of Providence faces renewed scrutiny following the release of a report by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha detailing decades of clergy sexual abuse in the diocese.

Lewandowski was appointed Bishop of Providence by Pope Francis in 2025.