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Article published: May 24, 2008
Legacy lands nun in Postville spotlight

POSTVILLE In the fall of 1964, Sister Mary McCauley's father, the district attorney for Milwaukee County, Wis., was dying of cancer.

He didn't expect to live until the November election and took a moment to reflect on his 20 years in the job.

"I have tried to lend dignity to my office and defend the rights of the little people," Sister McCauley remembers him saying.

Those words have been ringing in her ears in the nearly two weeks since the immigration raid in Postville that has gripped this northeast Iowa town. The 70-year-old Milwaukee native — a small, dignified woman with gray-white hair, perfect posture and a measured voice — has tried to live up to them.

She has been a comforter, voice of calm and tireless advocate for the town's beleaguered Hispanic community. She says she draws strength from her faith and her family heritage.

Immigration authorities detained 389 people in the raid. By the end of Thursday 297 of the 302 charged were sentenced on various felony document fraud charges and facing deportation.

Most Latino families in Postville are affected. Sister McCauley and Paul Rael, director of Hispanic Ministry at St. Bridget's Church, have been trying to bring order out of the chaos that ensued when hundreds of desperate people flocked to the small church less than a block from Postville's main street.

"This situation poignantly calls our country to find a way in which we can welcome people, truly live what we see on the Statue of Liberty and recognize the giftedness of people," she said.

Giftedness. It's the contribution each person makes to the community and the dignity each one has before the Creator, McCauley said.

She's been critical of the federal government for the raid and of Agriprocessors for conditions at the meatpacking plant, but most of the time she's been working to give Postville's Latinos a sense of security.

The third generation Irish-American is the pastoral administrator for three parishes along Highway 18 called the Trinity Cluster — St. Bridget's, St. Patrick's in Monona and St. Mary's in McGregor.

She was in Monona the morning of May 12. She and Rael were monitoring rumors there might be a raid and planned to meet at 11 a.m. to discuss how the church would respond.

"He called me at 10. He said, 'It's no rumor. The helicopters are here,' " she said.

Since then, she and Rael have worked from sunup to sundown. He deals with paperwork, legal assistance, negotiations with Agriprocessors over paychecks and anything else that requires someone who speaks English and Spanish.

McCauley consoles women whose husbands are gone, moves through lunch llines greeting children, speaks with reporters, collects donations and even washes laundry.

"She's an angel," said Violeta Aleman, who works at the Agriprocessors plant, attends St. Bridget's and has lived in Decorah for two years.

Even though McCauley doesn't speak Spanish, Aleman said she has an uncanny ability to connect through the language barrier.

"For some reason they understand her and she understands them," Aleman said.

McCauley decided to become a nun after she graduated from high school. It was the best way she knew to be in ministry and serve God's people, she said.

Over the past 50 years, she's taught in schools in New York, served in nursing homes and been a regional administrator in California for her order, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has worked for six years at the Trinity Cluster and is scheduled to retire in July.

She says her task for now is to give Rael space to do the critical work of wading through paperwork and keeping families informed about the legal process.

He works from a small office at the front of the rectory next to the church and she moves through the crowded hallways, carrying a plate of brownies or a folder of documents, always smiling.

"I don't know that I could have actually worked under anyone else," said Rael, a former South Winneshiek school district teacher who took early retirement and began to work at the church in 2003. "Whatever work needs to be done, she puts it in my hands."

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http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs. ... /1006/news


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Posted By: Billy Bob Foreacher Post Date: 05/24/08 03:57:00 PM
Title: Additional Arrests needed

ICE needs to arrest the Sister, The church's Paster, The Bishop and the companies management and charge them all with A being accessories to the crimes of Illegal Immigration.
Load up the damned bus and head to Cedar Rapids and then put the management and reporters of the Gazette on it as well!
It is sad to see that there is so much STUPIDITY WITHIN THE STATE OF IOWA!
WHICH PART OF THE LAW DONT YOU GET?


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Posted By: Joseph Shanley Post Date: 05/24/08 02:45:00 PM
Title: God Bless Sister McCauley

I would like commend Mr. Adam Belz for this well written article about Sister McCauley. As a traditional catholic, I would most likely disagree with Sister McCauley on almost everything concerning today's modernest church. But today all I can say is: God bless you Sister for the work you are doing on behalf these poor immigrants.
AFAIK, these 'illegal' immigrants are taxpayers and outstanding
members of the Postville community. How soon we forget
that, other then Native Americans, EVERY person in this country is an immigrant or a descendant from immigrants. This country was built strong by the hard work and sweat of our immigrant ancestors. Their so called 'illegal' status may in fact be moral and just, given the fact these are poor people with families to support and feed. They are taxpayers supporting their families and this country though their hard work, not through welfare, something this country needs. Given the fact the state allows 1/3 of unborn babies to be killed, it seems these workers are very much needed.
Putting myself in these immigrants shoes I cannot imagine the hardship they have had to endure, not unlike my Irish ancestors whom, though they had to put up with the same kind of bigotry reflected in some of the posters on this form, are good people willing to work hard in thankless jobs. The difference being my Irish ancestors thankfully were not subjected to a mighty force like ICE.
Please put yourself in the shoes of others before you condemn them.


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Posted By: Minnie Mouse Post Date: 05/24/08 02:39:00 PM
Title: STOP !

This story is pathetic. Gazette, stop with all the sob stories.


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Posted By: Albert Gibson Post Date: 05/24/08 11:10:00 AM
Title: She should be in jail

Sister Mary McCauley ought to be in prison.
She runs her mouth to any media outlet who will gladly post her pro-illegal, pro-amnesty, pro-criminal rantings.
She can criticize the government all she wants, but the Catholic Church doesn't pay any taxes. So shut up already.
This is the same Catholic Church who let all those priests sexually abuse children for decades.
How about newspapers run a profile on some of the people who had their identity or Social Security numbers stolen? No, you won't do that. You'll only profile these bleeding heart Socialists who 99% of the people disagree with.


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Posted By: **** Ewing Post Date: 05/24/08 11:06:00 AM
Title: Another Reason

Just another reason people are leaving the Catholic Church in droves. I'm sure this lady has a great amount of compassion for the less fortunate, but encouraging people to break the law is not the way to do it. The Church needs to quit embracing these left wing extremist causes and get back to living the Word of God.
It might be a good idea to keep the church out of politics, regardless whether it's from the left or the right.


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Posted By: Brian Brandsmeier Post Date: 05/24/08 08:13:00 AM
Title: Helpful Videos

Latinos of Postville
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-9s80j90NE
Sister Mary responding to the Postville Immigration Raid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDnSi80w7OI


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Posted By: Hugs4u Post Date: 05/24/08 07:40:00 AM
Title: raid the church

ICE needs to raid the church. These illegals are no different then rapist and thieves and druggies or child molesters. they are lawbreakers. Arrest the illegals and the ones hiding and comforting them.


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Posted By: Mary Hofmeister Post Date: 05/24/08 07:34:00 AM
Title: Hispanics in Postville

The people being deported are in this country ILLEGALLY. If I break the law and get caught, I will be incarcerated and/or fined, as it should be. Employers are the root of this problem. If they were dealt with as harshly as they should be, there would be no illegal jobs for immigrants to come to. Illegals: Apply for a green card and wait your turn! MH from MO