We remember Sr. JoAnn Persch, RSM
Dear CSPL family,
It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Sr. JoAnn Persch, a tireless advocate for immigrant justice who led prophetic work on behalf of our immigrant sisters and brothers for decades, and up until the very end of her life.
Sr. JoAnn devoted her life to accompanying detained immigrants, struggling for the dignity of those targeted by our nation’s unjust detention and deportation systems. In 2006, she and the late Sr. Pat Murphy pioneered regular prayer vigils outside the Broadview Detention Center, gathering thousands of people over the past two decades to publicly pray for the end of cruel immigration enforcement tactics.
Just two weeks ago, Sr. JoAnn was pivotal in planning and leading our All Saints Day People’s Mass outside of the Broadview ICE Detention Center. She and Bishop Maldonado led our delegation in our efforts to bring the Eucharist and our ministers inside to offer pastoral care and Communion to our detained sisters and brothers. We will never forget the profound silence of 2,000 people when she relayed the message that our attempt to minister to our detained sisters and brothers had again been denied. It was a moment of collective prophetic lament. Standing there together, we felt her fierce and nonviolent commitment to justice, solidarity, and compassion. That day, she told the Chicago Sun-Times, “It breaks my heart because we were allowed to go in … and pray and talk with them, work with the families. And now, they won’t even acknowledge us.”
As we grieve her loss, we also give thanks for the gift her life has been to our movement and to the Church. We have Sr. JoAnn and Sr. Pat to thank for encouraging the Mercy Sisters to become a congregational member of CSPL many years ago and for believing in our mission and vision when it was just an idea and dream. Whether standing in the cold at dawn at Broadview Detention Center, speaking with reporters, or engaging directly with federal officials, Sr. JoAnn made visible the suffering our government prefers to keep hidden. She was also unafraid to stand firmly for what she believed in.
On November 1, 2025, Sr. JoAnn played a pivotal role at the CSPL People’s Mass.
Sr. JoAnn remained steadfast until the end of her life at 91, boldly pressing our federal government to recognize the full humanity of our immigrant sisters and brothers and working with our members and staff on several vital efforts as part of our ongoing struggle. Her life was a testimony of unwavering courage, faith, and solidarity. We carry her torch forward by continuing the work she poured her life into—standing with our immigrant siblings, fighting for dignity, and believing fiercely in a world where every child of God is free.
May her memory be an example, a challenge, and a call to faithful, nonviolent, and courageous action.
Wake Service: Sunday, November 23, 2025
Mercy Circle, 3629 W. 99th Street, Chicago, IL 60655
2:00-7:00 PM Visitation
Prayer and storytelling at 3:00 PM
Funeral: Monday, November 24, 2025
10:00 AM
St. Barnabas Church, 10134 S. Longwood Dr., Chicago, IL 60643
Internment Immediately Following: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 6001 W. 111th St., Alsip, IL
