Fr. Paul Keller, Provincial Superior of the Claretian Missionaries USA-Canada Province, is featured on BBC Radio4’s long-running religious affairs program Sunday, presented by Edward Stourton.
The Sunday special: One year of Pope Leo XIV broadcast on May 3, 2026 brought together a panel of experts to mark the one-year anniversary of the first American Pope.
As the Holy Father’s home city, Chicago has found itself at the center of renewed attention on faith and justice. Fr. Keller, CMF, shared his experience as part of a group of clergy granted access to the Broadview ICE Detention Center on Ash Wednesday and again on Holy Thursday. “The detainees were handcuffed and shackled. It seemed unnecessarily degrading and dehumanizing,” he reflected.
Fr. Keller also noted that Pope Leo has spoken specifically about the Broadview facility and expressed how meaningful it is for ministers of the Church to know that the Head of the Church stands with them. “It keeps our morale going,” he said.
Also featured on the program was Fr. Brendan Curran a Dominican friar from Chicago, who spoke candidly about what he has witnessed: “I have never seen such oppressive measures by federal agents before my eyes in my life.” He added that he has felt profoundly encouraged by the Pope’s call for the Church to live the Gospel “not just in faith, but putting faith in action.”
You can listen to the full episode at the link below.
