Assumption Catholic Church
323 West Illinois Street - Chicago IL 60654
| HOME |
Pastor's Messages Fr. Joseph Chamblain, O.S.M. Pastor
|
 |
| 9/26/2026 | Fr. Joseph Chamblain, OSM |
| CATHOLIC TEACHING ON MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES | |
This Sunday September 27 is the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. This international Catholic observance dates back to 1914, to the beginning of the First World War. In 1980 the bishops of the United States designated the first week of January as National Migration Week, to recognize the Church's history as a migrant church. They also established a special commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers. The new bishop of Joliet, Brendan Cahill, is the past chair of that commission. In 2019 National Migration Week was moved to the end of September to coincide with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. While this change made sense, it also made it easy for National Migration Week to pass by without being noticed. The Christmas season is filled with stories of people on the move, some of them voluntary and others the result of actions by an oppressive government: the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to register for the census, the flight into Egypt to escape King Herod, the journey of the Magi across territorial boundaries in search of Christ.
Pope Leo chose as the theme of this year's observance, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." This challenges each of us to reflect on the dire situations that drive children to migrate, often alone, in search of a safe haven. What can we do to ensure that child migrants are not exploited but receive the care that they deserve?
This observance is also an opportunity to highlight the fact that the Catholic Church in the United States has been calling for comprehensive immigration reform for decades. The current immigration system is inadequate to address the needs of American families, employers, and communities, as well as immigrants themselves. Some of the recent actions by ICE agents have shocked even the most ardent supporters of deportations and border security. It seems appropriate that we revisit the principles outlined in the joint document of the American and Mexican bishops, Strangers No Longer from 2003, and restated in 2022:
Fr. Joe
P.S. While I will not be migrating, I will be joining Servite Provincial, Fr. Eugene Smith, as he visits the Servite Communities in Western Australia. I will be gone September 29 to October 8.
|
|
