The Christmas display, which replaces Jesus, Mary and Joseph with a sign saying “ICE Was Here,” has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders and immigration officials.
Dec. 8, 2025
Leaders of a Catholic church near Boston kept a Nativity display with an anti-ICE message in place on Monday, defying an order from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to remove it.
The display, outside St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, Mass., includes the traditional shepherds, sheep and wise men gathered around a hay-filled manger. But Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus are missing, replaced by a sign reading “ICE WAS HERE” in bold blue letters.
“The Holy Family is safe in the Sanctuary of our Church,” adds a smaller note inside the Nativity scene, which is protected by a plastic shield. “If you see ICE please call LUCE.” The display includes a phone number for LUCE, an immigrant advocacy group, which tracks the activity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Massachusetts.
ICE began a major immigration enforcement campaign in the Boston area in September, the forefront of a wave of similar efforts in other major cities.
Speaking to reporters late Monday outside the brick church, the Rev. Stephen Josoma said the intent of the display was to “evoke dialogue,” not cause a furor. He said parish leaders would confer with leaders of the archdiocese before making a final decision on its fate.
But, he added, “that some do not agree with our display does not render it sacrilegious.”
Last week, the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston told the parish to take down the signage in its Nativity display. In a statement, archdiocesan leaders said that churchgoers “have the right to expect that they will encounter genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship — not divisive political messaging.”
Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.
Jenna Russell is the lead reporter covering New England for The Times. She is based near Boston.
A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 10, 2025, Section A, Page 12 of the New York edition with the headline: Massachusetts Church Keeps Anti-ICE Nativity Scene, Defying Diocese. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Advertisement
