An anti-immigration-enforcement Nativity display at St. Susanna Church in Dedham remains in place more than two weeks after the Archdiocese of Boston asked for it to be removed, as the pastor says the church has received hefty support from progressive Catholics and left-of-center activists.

The display includes an empty manger and a sign reading “ICE Was Here,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On December 5, the archdiocese said the display sends an inappropriate political message and should be taken down.

“The people of God have the right to expect that, when they come to church, they will encounter genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship — not divisive political messaging,” archdiocese spokesman Terrence Donilon said in a written statement at the time. “The display should be removed, and the manger restored to its proper sacred purpose.”

About 18 days later, the display is still standing.

In a recent church bulletin, Father Stephen Josoma, the pastor, said the reaction to the display from people who have contacted the parish about it has encouraged him.

“Our Pax Christi group had hoped to start a conversation about how we treat our neighbors through the lens of our contemporary immigration policy — especially as it is carried out by ICE,” Josoma wrote. “The conversation seemed to have spread exponentially farther along than any of us could have imagined.”

The parish received approximately 140 telephone calls, more than 600 emails messages, 21 letters, and about 75 cards, with the vast majority expressing support for the display, Josoma wrote. He said the parish also received around $24,000 in donations from across the country in the past two weeks: $15,000 two weeks ago and $9,000 last week.

“This has never happened before,” Josoma wrote.

"Something we never expected," he added.

The display has drawn attention well beyond Massachusetts, with coverage appearing in England, Italy, Germany, Finland, Australia, and the Philippines, Josoma wrote.

“The emails, cards, and letters provide a great snapshot of where we are at as a people in 2025 — socially, politically, emotionally, and theologically,” he wrote.

Nearly all of the feedback from faith communities was supportive, Josoma wrote.

"Surprisingly, 99% of what we received from faith communities and churches (religious sisters, brothers, priests, Jesuits, Franciscans, other denominations) were most positive and compelling," he wrote. “The message seemed to resonate with a deeply felt human and social need.”

The Archdiocese of Boston has said the issue is not the parish's stance on immigration policy, but its use of sacred imagery to advance a political message. Church officials have said St. Susanna Parish neither requested nor received permission to alter the Nativity display.

Josoma has pushed back on that criticism. Earlier this month, he said the display reflects Catholic teaching and statements from U.S. bishops and the Vatican addressing immigration and refugees.

Meanwhile, acting ICE director Todd Lyons slammed Josoma for the display.

Lyons previously told Fox News that “the actions of the activist reverend, Stephen Josoma, are absolutely abhorrent and add to a dangerous narrative responsible for a more than 1,150% increase in assaults on ICE officers.”

Father Josoma and Donilon could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.