The forthcoming World Day of Migrants and Refugees on 28 August is a chance to celebrate – but also a challenge, writes Br Geoff Seaman.
“Welcoming refugees and giving them hospitality,” says Pope Benedict, “is for everyone an imperative gesture of human solidarity, so they may not feel isolated because of intolerance and disinterest.”
The Pope’s message for the 97th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (28 August) comes at a time when the number of refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people is in excess of 40 million and growing by thousands every day.
People are fleeing life-threatening situations in Somalia, the Middle East and North Africa in numbers that make the few thousand boat people seeking sanctuary in Australia almost insignificant by contrast.
The fact their distressing situation is giving rise to vile expressions of hardhearted intolerance on the part of some is very sad indeed. Such expressions seem the antithesis of Jesus’ counsel to “Welcome the Stranger”.
In this context, the words of Bishop Hanna, the Australian Bishops delegate for Migrants and Refugees, are apt:
“To be part of one human family will sometimes require us to walk beside those who suffer and to share our land and our wealth. As children of God, we are called to ease the suffering of our brothers and sisters.”
On Sunday, 28 August we not only focus on the plight of today’s refugees but we give thanks for and celebrate the most valuable contribution that, over the years, migrants and refugees have made to the good life we enjoy in our lucky country.
In this respect, we Catholics have much for which to be grateful. We need to look no further than the fine leadership and service we receive in our parishes from priests who’ve come from overseas.
Some, like the newly consecrated auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, were themselves boat people asylum seekers. The endeavour of our church in Australia, over many decades, to respond adequately to the needs of migrants and refugees continues strongly though many challenges remain.
The late revered Bishop Joseph Grech, in cooperation with the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office in Canberra, took strong initiatives to ensure that the many needs of new arrivals were addressed.
Here in Perth, with the encouragement of Archbishop Hickey, a Pastoral Care Committee led by Fr Blasco Fonseca, vicar for migrants, works to implement recommendations for better service to refugees and migrants.
While longer established ethnic communities such as the Italian, Croatian and Vietnamese have the benefit of their own chaplains, many of the more recently arrived do not have that support and must largely rely on parishes to offer the help they need.
Some key needs as identified by the committee are: to receive a warm, friendly welcome from their local parish; to enjoy ongoing interest and support as they endeavour to settle here; to have opportunities to receive sacraments they have missed out on; to be able, sometimes at least, to participate in liturgy in ways with which they are more familiar; to be able to enrol their children in Catholic schools.
Fortunately, Catholic schools, as far as they can, cater very well for the needs of new arrivals. Aranmore Catholic College and Majella Primary School in Balga are two outstanding examples of special consideration for migrants and refugees.
Many Catholic schools help provide a much appreciated gesture of welcome in the form of a Christmas hamper. Chisholm Catholic College, for example, has been doing this with admirable generosity over many years. Some parishes, too, and the St Vincent de Paul Society have been conspicuous in their endeavours to be welcoming and helpful to new arrivals.
In Girrawheen, for example, “Welcome to Australia” picnics are held twice a year – a cooperative effort of the parish, the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Christian Brothers and Sacred Heart College, Sorrento. A similar event is held annually and very successfully at the North Perth Monastery.
Unfortunately, in spite of these endeavours, many migrants, including overseas students, and refugees, through no fault of their own, still miss out on connecting with our church as they would like to.
The celebration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees can act as a reminder of our being one human family so
that we reach out a helping hand to our brothers and sisters who have suffered so much and need our support.
The World Day of Migrants and Refugees is an occasion for celebration of, and gratitude for, all the benefits migration has brought to Australia but also of challenge to be fair and compassionate towards those still suffering the pain of being forced to leave their homeland.
Br Geoff Seaman is a Christian brother who has worked with migrants and refugees for two decades.