Mass & Procession Honoring Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez

DATE: Wednesday, September 24, 2025

TIME: 6:30 PM Mass - 7:30 PM Procession

LOCATION: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Melrose Park

On September 12th, Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez was killed by an ICE agent during a traffic stop as part of ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz” taking place in communities across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. These operations have received significant scrutiny from local officials, residents, and Catholic and faith communities for the aggressive targeting of immigrants and people of color. Significant discrepancies have emerged between the official DHS statement and other accounts of what took place around Silverio's death, with recently released bodycam footage indicating the ICE officer reported to have sustained "severe injuries" stating otherwise on the scene.

At this Mass and Procession, we will honor Silverio’s life, and stand and pray in solidarity with his family and all immigrant communities. We also show up to demand a thorough and independent investigation into the operation that killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez.