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CV NEWS FEED // The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging the faithful to remember and pray for migrants and refugees as the Church prepares for National Migration Week and the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
National Migration Week begins on September 23 and culminates on September 29, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The events highlight the challenges displaced migrants and refugees face.
A September 19 report from the USCCB reminded the faithful that “Church teaching calls on Catholics to respond with compassionate acts of love” toward those facing these challenges.
According to the USCCB, Catholic dioceses, schools, and charitable organizations across the country will commemorate this week with special Masses, community festivals, volunteer opportunities, and immigration legal clinics.
The report shared that Pope Francis’s theme for this year is “God walks with his people.”
Pope Francis wrote in his message for the 2024 World Day of Migrants and Refugees that God “identifies himself with men and women on their journey through history, particularly with the least, the poor and the marginalized,”
The Pope continued, “In this we see an extension of the mystery of the Incarnation.”
Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, remarked, “Pope Francis calls for solidarity with migrants, reminding us that their journeys mirror the biblical Exodus, with God as their guide and companion.”
The bishop continued, “[Pope Francis] emphasizes that every encounter with migrants is an encounter with Christ, urging us to respond with compassion, recognizing their struggles as a reflection of our shared journey toward the Kingdom of Heaven.”
In his message, the Pope shared a special prayer for migrants and concluded by stating, “Dear brothers and sisters, on this day dedicated to migrants and refugees, let us unite in prayer for all those who have had to leave their land in search of dignified living conditions.”
The USCCB shared that resources such as homilies, prayers, and information about National Migration Week can be found here.
