Hope Found Under the Hood on World Day of Migrants and Refugees
Written by: Bridget Donohue of Project Dignity
Marco working with a volunteer on a car
Marco stood in the street outside my house holding a new air hose for his well-worn Nissan—the one part standing between him and a working car. He had bought it himself but wasn’t sure he had the right tools, or enough daylight, to install it. I picked up the phone and called my neighbor Dick. Five minutes later the two of them were leaning over the engine together, sleeves rolled up, talking through the repair in a mix of English and hand gestures. It was an ordinary summer evening, yet as I watched them I thought about how far Marco and his wife, Alma, have traveled in just over a year.
The couple first walked through my front door on June 4, 2024, after a long flight from Guatemala. They had fled relentless harassment from the Barrio 18 gang, which extorts small business owners—stealing equipment, threatening lives, and promising to return. Late that night Catholic Charities case managers Milad and Irvic met them at the airport and brought them to my house. We skipped introductions; they were exhausted, and all I wanted was for them to find their room, close the door, and rest. By morning, a friendship had begun—strong enough to hold stories of danger and loss, and steady enough to make room for healing and hope.
From the start, Marco and Alma were determined to build a new life. Within weeks they were studying English three times a week at my kitchen table. Less than two months later, both had jobs. Project Dignity provided bikes for their commutes, and soon Marco earned his driver’s license, with Alma close behind. A fellow Guatemalan they met at church sold them their Nissan and let them pay in installments. Along the way, we celebrated birthdays, shared Sunday trips to the beach with my puppy Miss Maudie, and cheered their milestones large and small. This summer, after a year of steady work, they took their first vacation: a train ride to Chicago where they explored the city, savored Guatemalan food, snapped endless selfies at “the Frijole Grande,” and spent a night in a hotel. When I met them at the station the next day, they were glowing. “Chicago is easy!” they said. “We can do it by ourselves now, anytime we want.”
The road has not been without shadows—sleepless nights haunted by memories of home, days when starting over felt overwhelming. Yet again and again, friendship has lit the way. As Aristotle wrote, nothing on earth is more to be prized than true friendship. In South Bend, Catholic Charities and Project Dignity have worked side by side to offer that friendship: practical, personal, and rooted in respect for the dignity of every person.
This month the Church celebrates the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, a reminder that migrants are, in the words of Pope Leo, “missionaries of hope.” Their courage points to a future of peace and dignity that God intends for the whole human family. Marco and Alma’s journey is a living sign of that hope—neighbors becoming friends, and friends becoming family.