Chicago Catholic - Jesus Will Follow You Home

A reflection by Father John Kartje for the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 7, 2026

The detention center in Broadview is relatively quiet these days. But last fall it was roiling with the confrontation between protesters and federal agents, while endless convoys of unmarked SUVs with their human cargo rolled in and out of the gates.

In the midst of this dark chaos, numerous attempts were made to deliver pastoral care, including the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist, to the detainees. Repeatedly, they were either ignored or rejected.

Faced with this stonewalling, the people of St. Eulalia Parish along with the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Life resolved that if the Eucharist were not allowed inside the walls of the center, then the precious Body and Blood would be brought to outside the walls.