Logan Heights church opens migrant resource center to support immigrants

Our Lady Guadalupe parish in Logan Heights opened the Pope Francis Center with a soft opening on Jan. 5 and plans an official grand opening in early February; the center offers legal, psychological and financial support to the immigrant community.

Our Lady Guadalupe parish in Logan Heights has opened the Pope Francis Center to provide resources for the neighborhood's largely immigrant congregation. The center held a soft opening on January 5 and the parish plans an official grand opening in early February. Parish leaders said demand for services rose after the Trump administration and noted the church previously operated a makeshift migrant shelter in 2023 that paused in March 2025. The center is named for Pope Francis and is described by leaders as a place for practical help and pastoral care. Key details: - The center began a soft opening on Jan. 5 and has an official grand opening planned for early February. - Services announced include legal resources and referrals, psychological support, financial assistance, social work appointments, needs assessments, and basic-supply distribution. - FAITH Accompaniment is a volunteer project to accompany people to immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins; volunteer training sessions are scheduled throughout 2026. - The parish was founded in 1917 and took the name Our Lady Guadalupe in 1921; it opened a makeshift migrant shelter in 2023 that suspended operations in March 2025 after asylum-seeker numbers fell, a change linked in reporting to the end of a CBP scheduling system under the Trump administration. - The center offered walk-in hours through January, with Sundays and weeknight hours, and was closed on Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Summary: The parish intends the Pope Francis Center to be a more permanent local hub for immigrant support following earlier shelter work. Church leaders say the center combines practical services with pastoral accompaniment. Volunteer training throughout 2026 and the scheduled grand opening are the next public milestones.