Sister Sharon Sullivan, congregational leader of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, was one of the speakers during the “No Kings” rally on the Daviess County Courthouse lawn on Oct. 18, 2025. Sister Sharon spoke on behalf of equitable treatment for immigrants, which the Ursuline Sisters have supported for generations. She was joined by a handful of Ursuline Sisters and Associates, some of the estimated 500 people who attended the rally to voice their displeasure with the current administration in Washington, D.C.

The following is the full text of Sister Sharon’s talk.

“I was asked to share some thoughts on immigration. But I must confess that I am here not to speak against, but to speak on behalf of. Of what?

“My stance is not anti-someone but is – I hope – supportive. Again of what?

“I am speaking both to myself and to you – no, to we who are gathered here. I speak on behalf of and in acknowledgement of and in debt to ideas and ideals that formed who I came to be, that were part of my core understanding of the world as I was taught it was meant to be.

“Perhaps you share some of these ideas and ideals.

“Think back to your elementary school years; do you remember learning these words, inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the United States from France? In a poem called ‘The New Colossus,’ we find these familiar lines:

“’Give me your tired, your poor,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shores,

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’

“These words reflected themes of hope, refuge, and the American ideals of freedom and opportunity for all. Not just for the wealthy, the professional, the person who would most benefit the U.S. economy, but the homeless, the tempest-tost, those seeking to build better lives.

“And, certainly you remember learning these words that formed the heart of what we hoped was the central ideal identity of the United States – that ideal that we used to claim and that ideal toward which our best efforts still ought to be invested:

“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (all persons) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

“All persons.

“And in these truths from scriptures sacred to many and common to many faith traditions, we read in Leviticus, in Deuteronomy, in Hebrews, in Matthew and many other sites:

“‘You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you; and you shall love him as yourself, for you once were strangers yourselves. . .      AND . . .

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. . .’

“Taken all together, these ideas, these ideals, affirm, assert, and attest to the sacredness of all creation and the inherent dignity of every human being. Every human being – regardless of all the artificial labels that separate us – race, ethnicity, gender, political beliefs, religion, size, education, profession, wealth, employment status, or any other status.

We each have value. We each have worth. It is not a question of ‘us’ and ‘them,’ rather all are ‘we.’

“And today we must ask ourselves, ‘How did we get SO off track?’

“When did we come to believe in and rely on fear – fear of ‘the other’ – as a valid basis for decision-making?

“When did the person who came to our shores or crossed our borders become a category? An immigrant? An undocumented alien? Something to be shunned and disposed of?

“When did our first response – our chosen or most-approved response – become ‘How do we get rid of this person?’ rather then, ‘How can we help?’

“We know that current laws and executive orders are being designed to make remaining in the United States unattractive and unpleasant for persons seeking asylum or a new life, a better life; laws that:

• Restrict access to basic services
• Impose exorbitant fees for documents and legal processes
• Require for services or privileges (or rights), documents that are unavailable or impossible to acquire

“This is unacceptable. What must we do?

• We must become and remain aware.
• We must challenge ourselves to evaluate our own actions & assumptions.
• We must commit ourselves to challenge assertions based on fear – especially on fear of others.
• We must be willing to consistently challenge assumptions and assertions we know to be false.
• And in whatever ways we can, we must not be silent.

“Thank you.”