"This is the story of Los Angeles, the story of the state of California and the story of our country—which is a nation of immigrants," said Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez.

"The pope is sending a message to us! I think that is proof enough, that the love of the church for our poor people is really palpable, it's real."

A parish in the Diocese of Salford will be the first to welcome a family from a refugee camp in the Middle East as part of a sponsorship plan.

"We're not just isolated in our church building at Rural and North streets. We're out in the streets, bringing that visible presence of Christ to the streets."

"We hope that the center will encourage harmony and unity among different countries and among different religions," Father Tavares told Catholic News Service.

"I learned that people want to mend the gaps, that they really care about it, that they see the gaps differently," one sister said.