Dorchester congregations are joining clergy across the region in denouncing the Trump administration’s edicts targeting Muslim immigrants and vowing to keep their churches open for those in jeopardy.

The president’s executive order, instated last Friday, temporarily bans immigrants and refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US. The order has been met with a surge of protests at Logan Airport on Saturday, and at Copley Square on Sunday.

On Sunday, First Parish Dorchester — the neighborhood’s oldest congregation dating to 1630—rang their bell at noon to express solidarity with vulnerable members of its congregation, and the larger community of Boston.

“We are in a predicament to figure out how to best respond to the times we’re now in,” said Rev. Patricia Brennan, the interim minister at the First Parish Dorchester. “Many in the congregation were appreciative of Mayor Walsh’s stance he so clearly took, saying that Boston would remain as a place people could feel safe.”

Rev. Brennan said the president’s executive order is in direct opposition to the parish’s view that every human being has inherent dignity and worth.

“To take refuge in love,” Rev. Brennan, 60, preached in her sermon on Sunday, “is to turn from the story of competitiveness to the story that we are all in this together.”

First Parish Dorchester has worked since the election to determine how to more tangibly support the community, said Myles Crowley, 55, the elected chairperson for the board of trustees of First Parish Dorchester, in an interview. “It’s a wonderful honor to be in a parish with so much history, and to be present for the next phase of growth.”

The parish, already engaged in social justice work, from weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to a Fair Foods partnership, has not solidified its next steps, but hopes to become a sanctuary organization, in whatever way that is most feasible, Crowley said.

“My uncle was a Catholic priest in Roxbury who opened his rectory for Haitian immigrants” he said. “We can’t, ourselves, always open the doors like that, but we can think of other ways to support organizations who support immigrants, and promote awareness in the community.”

Religious leaders of multiple faiths gathered at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul on Tuesday, standing united against Trump’s executive orders. The leaders said they would harbor undocumented immigrants if the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency were to threaten or enforce deportation.

Rev. Edwin Johnson of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Dorchester’s Jones Hill neighborhood, was among the speakers who affirmed their commitment. “I am the son of immigrants. The community that I serve worships in English and Spanish, and prays from the heart of so many more languages than that,” said Johnson, who pointed out that figures from Scripture — Abraham, Isaac, Moses, and Jesus — had all been refugees, and had depended on a nation that was not their own for justice.

“Our call is that you embrace our common humanity, and that you do so actively and rapidly, before we even have to house anyone in our congregations or in city hall,” he said.

“As faith leaders, we know that for many days to come, there will be little distinction between the pulpit and the protest line,” said Rev. Cody Sanders of the Old Cambridge Baptist Church in Harvard Square.

Added Rabbi Toba Spitzer, who serves the Dorshei Tzedek in West Newton:
“We know deep in our bones what it means to be targeted for our religion and our ethnicity, and what happens when the doors of refuge are closed.”

The leaders at the gathering made sure to thank outspoken politicians like Mayor Martin Walsh, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Attorney General Maura Healey, US Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and US Sen. Ed Markey for making a public commitment to immigrants and refugees.

However, not all of the local elected officials came in for praise. The religious leaders called on Gov. Charlie Baker to sign and support the recently filed Massachusetts Safe Communities Act, and some said they were puzzled by Baker’s failure to voice a resounding “no” to Trump. The bill would protect the rights and safety of immigrants as well as ensure no state support for a Muslim registry.

“We are fighting for a Massachusetts of solidarity,” said Janine Carreiro-Young, the deputy director of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network that organized the event. “This is not about Democrats or Republicans; this is about our values,” she said.

Carlos Saavedra of Cosecha, an organization that protects undocumented immigrants across the country, said that Baker had not been tough enough in standing against the Trump edicts. “He is being silent about the issue, not going to any protests, not even going to the airport,” said Saavedra, who added that “silence kills. When there is no authority, we have to rely on morality.”

After the gathering, the group walked from St. Paul’s to Baker’s office at the State House to deliver their message. That same day, Baker said in a statement that he supports Healey’s challenge the president’s executive order.

“Massachusetts is a global community and we all benefit from the shared experiences of our partners from around the world,” said the governor. “The recent executive order puts this at risk, will not improve our security, and the lack of guidance associated with such an abrupt and overwhelming decision is problematic for all involved,” he added.