A Minneapolis Lutheran church opened its doors Sunday for a special service called “Lament and Hope,” drawing worshippers from its largely immigrant congregation days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman in the surrounding neighborhood. The Rev. Hierald Osorto, pastor of St. Paul’s-San Pablo Lutheran Church, welcomed a crowd seated on wooden benches as immigration enforcement officers drove through the streets outside, detaining people while activists beat drums and blew whistles in response.
The service illustrated how houses of worship have become gathering points for communities unsettled by a federal enforcement operation that has brought roughly 2,000 Department of Homeland Security agents and officers to the Minneapolis region, producing arrests, protests, and the death of Renee Good — shot by an ICE agent the previous Wednesday — that has placed the city at the center of a national debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
MINNEAPOLIS — St. Paul’s-San Pablo Lutheran Church held a special Sunday service it called “Lament and Hope” on January 11, drawing worshippers from its largely immigrant congregation while immigration enforcement officers drove through the surrounding neighborhood detaining people outside.
The Rev. Hierald Osorto, pastor of the church, welcomed the crowd as church security guarded the doors and controlled who entered. Activists outside beat drums and blew whistles in response to the enforcement activity.
“Thank you for being here this morning. Gathering is such a critical, critical thing to do, especially in these times. It’s been a difficult week,” Osorto told those assembled on wooden benches.
The service came days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Wednesday — at a location approximately 1.5 miles from the church, according to the Associated Press. The Department of Homeland Security has deployed roughly 2,000 agents and officers to the Minneapolis region as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operation, a show of force that has generated fear among immigrant communities and drawn opposition from activists.
Inside the church, worshippers lit candles, sang hymns, and received communion. A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe stood at the front. Volunteers handed out pamphlets bearing the words “Justice is for Everyone: Immigrant Rights Now!” Osorto said a prayer for Good during the service.
He said he noticed a slight dip in attendance but was satisfied with the turnout given the circumstances.
“I think that it’s important for folks to realize that what’s happened here in the Twin Cities has changed us for the rest of our lives,” Osorto said after the service.
Anna Amundson, a congregation member, described the fear that has reshaped daily routines for many in the community.
“A lot of people are afraid to kind of do the basic things, and so that’s why it’s even more impressive, I think, that people are still coming to church. This community is important to people, and I think that you can kind of see that,” she said. “People in our congregation are scared.”
One attendee, an immigrant who gave only her first name — Lizete — said she had considered staying home but came to the church for the support. She said she arrived in the United States nearly two decades ago with her then 2-year-old daughter and worries about both of them.
“Here I have my people, who is close to me, and I feel their really, really support,” she said.
Jose Luis Villasenor, who addressed the congregation during the service, urged members to draw on their collective resilience.
“I want us to, through the reading we had today, to remember that we can we can get through this together, not alone, because we’re very brave and resilient,” he said after the service.
The church has long reflected the neighborhood’s demographic shifts. Osorto said it began with a predominantly Swedish congregation whose services were held in Swedish, then transitioned through Swedish-English bilingualism, then English alone. Today services mix Spanish and English, with Osorto moving between the two languages throughout.
Later Sunday, the church served as a hub for further community activity. Dozens gathered for a singing vigil, practicing songs before walking through the neighborhood in opposition to the enforcement operation. Elsewhere inside the building, participants made paper flowers — traditionally carried in pre-Christmas processions — to use at protests against the federal enforcement campaign.