Posted June 12, 2014
On Friday, June 20, 2014 Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland – Migration and Refugee Services will host a naturalization ceremony in honor of world refugee day. Immigrants who have applied for U.S. Citizenship will receive their certificate of citizenship and take the citizenship oath at the ceremony. The ceremony will start promptly at noon and will last about 45 minutes. New citizens, their family members, and community members are welcome to attend.
At the ceremony, approximately 30 individuals will become citizens. Presiding over the ceremony will be the Hon. Christopher A. Boyko, Judge of the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio. Director of Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services, Thomas Mrosko, will welcome the new citizens on behalf of Catholic Charities. Light refreshments will be served.
World Refugee day is observed each year to acknowledge the extreme challenges faced by individuals who are forcibly displaced from their homes throughout the world. It is also important to recognize the resilience of these individuals, who start their lives again in a new country. Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services resettles approximately 300 refugees each year in the Cleveland area. The majority of the refugees resettled become citizens after they have been in the United States for at least five years.
Our Immigration Legal Services Program assists immigrants in applying for immigration benefits from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and with relief from removal at the Cleveland Immigration Court. We have two attorneys on staff and a bilingual (Spanish) paralegal. Our immigration program is always available to answer any immigration questions and assist immigrants in our community.