You may have met Rev. Dr. Helen Boursier during last year’s Faithful Witness at the Border. Her new book “Desperately Seeking Asylum” has been receiving excellent advance feedback (see below), and her hope and prayer is that it will make a dent and a difference. This book includes bits from Faithful Witness at the Border, including one of the two front cover pix that she took when she went to Mexico plus several others from the week are inside the book, which is due out December 15th.
"This book includes bits from the Faithful Witness event, including the bottom of the two merged together photos on the cover, which I took when we were in Mexico with Faithful Witness. There are 2-3 other photos that I took during that event which are included inside. Overall, this is a very approachable way to read about the reality of immigration at the Mexico-US border." - Rev. Dr. Helen Boursier
“Desperately Seeking Asylum is a hyper-timely book. Boursier offers an indispensable primer for spiritual and ethical discernment on the deepest theological challenges that global migration presents. It is informative, accessible, experiential, and practically empowering for action—be it prayers, works of mercy and justice, or advocacy. It will be stimulating reading for the general public or communities of faith, as well as for students in colleges and seminaries.”
—Kristine Suna-Koro, Xavier University, author of In Counterpoint: Postcoloniality, Diaspora, and Sacramental Theology
“Centered on the narratives of those most impacted, Desperately Seeking Asylum expertly weaves the experiences of immigrants and refugees with a comprehensive exploration of our current immigration system to reveal how and why it is so difficult to seek refuge in the United States. Through insightful research and extensive fieldwork, Rev. Dr. Boursier challenges the narrative that migrants are dangerous or powerless while also offering hope for an alternate reality of hospitality through practical welcoming actions and advocacy.”
—Jennie Belle, community organizer, Church World Service
“Rev. Dr. Boursier puts her soul on the line as she gives voice to the stories no one knows from vulnerable women and children lost among us in plain sight. This important work reminds us that change comes when we open minds and lead with our hearts.”
—Hope Frye, executive director Project Lifeline; lead attorney for Flores monitoring
Told through heart-wrenching testimonies, photographs, and artwork created by refugees fleeing their homelands, Boursier documents the harsh reality of families who are Desperately Seeking Asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Rev. Dr. Helen T. Boursier is a public theologian, educator, author, activist, ordained minister, and artist. “Pastora Helena” has been a volunteer chaplain with refugee families both inside and outside family detention since 2014. She authored The Ethics of Hospitality: An Interfaith Response to U.S. Immigration Policies.