“You are safe, you are loved, you are welcome to stay.”
On the Sunday of Refugee Week, at St Mary’s Church in Poole, around 25 children wrote heartfelt messages of welcome, each attached to a single rose, which they processed through the church to lay on the altar, as a focus for the congregation in prayer.
The children’s simple but very moving message of love for our brothers and sisters perfectly expressed the call of Pope Francis to welcome, protect, promote and integrate those forced to seek sanctuary.
Pope Leo XIV has chosen as the theme for this year’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees on 27th September: ‘Even just one of these children…’, the title referring to Matthew 18:5 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” A statement released by the Vatican explained: “With this choice, the Holy Father intends to express the Church’s concern for minors directly involved in migration, recalling the duty to welcome each one of them as the Gospel teaches us.”
Recently, we have seen many examples of public hostility towards people seeking sanctuary and even those who have come to this country to fulfil vital roles in our health and care services. But the Gospel message to welcome the stranger is strong and clear, and based in love.
The Jesuit Refugee Service UK, together with Catholic Social Action Network and the SVP has launched a summer campaign Welcome the stranger: defend the right to asylum. There are many ways to get involved, which are shown on the JRS UK website.
Caritas Diocese of Plymouth encourages you to support this campaign to make sure that the Catholic voice is heard and can bear witness to the simple truth at the heart of the Gospel: every person is precious, because God is present in everyone. Welcoming people seeking safety is an integral part of our faith: it is a response to the dignity God has placed in every human life.