The Boston Archdiocese has taken a hard line against a Christmas display set up outside St. Susanna Catholic Church in Dedham, Massachusetts. The scene was missing Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and featured an “ICE was here” sign that even gave a phone number for a group that tracks immigration operations. Church officials denounced the setup as “divisive political messaging” and urged that it be taken down, saying it violated Catholic doctrine. They claimed parishioners deserve a space for prayer and worship, not political statements.
Acting ICE director Todd Lyons blasted Pastor Stephen Josoma, calling him an “activist reverend” and warning that the display could lead to assaults on ICE officers. Lyons noted a sharp rise in incidents against ICE staff—over 250 attacks this year and a 1,150 % increase in violent incidents—and described the pastor’s actions as “abhorrent.”
Josoma defended the nativity scene as “religious art,” explaining that its goal was to imagine what it would feel like if Christ were born in today’s world and to stir strong emotions. He said, “It’s supposed to affect people deeply, it’s supposed to move people, it’s supposed to change people, so if this evicts a strong reaction, maybe it’s good to take a look at that.”
This isn’t Josoma’s first controversial nativity. In 2018 he placed a baby Jesus in a cage outside his church to protest Trump’s immigration policies, after more than 5,400 children were separated from parents at the U.S.–Mexico border. He has also staged scenes that touch on gun control and climate change.
Lyons applauded the archdiocese for taking a stand against what he called an extremist narrative, standing alongside the Catholic Church to reject the pastor’s latest political stunt.
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