By Anthony Barich
PARISHES can use Migrant and Refugee Sunday on 29 August to better understand their needs so they can be embraced by Catholic communities, a 10 July Archdiocesan pastoral plan gathering revealed.
The meeting at the Catholic Education Office in Leederville, which included representatives from 15 parishes, aimed to develop a pastoral plan for the Archdiocese in the lead-up to Migrant and Refugee Sunday.
The meeting included representatives from East Fremantle, North Perth, Lockridge and Thornlie, Armadale, Mt Lawley, Fremantle, Whitford, Morley, Nollamara, Joodanna and Girrawheen. Two more representatives from Kalgoorlie and Whitford also expressed interest in the meeting but could not attend on the day.
Building a network of contacts, information and education for parish volunteers and developing a ‘conduit’ for information sharing from the Pastoral Plan Team that was formed in February were also suggested as ways parishes can mobilise support for migrants and refugees in Catholic communities.
Migrant and Refugee Sunday could also be used to initiate a ‘conversation’ among parishioners about refugee issues which would generate awareness, the meeting suggested, as well as encouraging parishioners to act and be personally involved.
Practical, day to day suggestions about parish life were also put forward, including using the parish bulletin to share stories and information about refugees, using the Internet accordingly.
As feast days are often an important part of parish life in countries where migrants are from, more recognition of the parish feast day was encouraged at the meeting, along with a multicultural celebration and, at parish events, an interpreter for those with a limited understanding of English.
Initiatives to help embrace new parishioners which are likely to include migrants like a ‘new parishioner lunch’ were also suggested, along with after-school care for children, the establishment of a migrant or refugee group in the parish and education and formation within the parish, with phone numbers and contact details on the parish notice board. Basic ‘meet and greet’ events after parishes are also highly effective ways to engage migrants and refugees in Catholic communities, the meeting revealed.
It also highlighted examples that other parishes can follow, like a Sudanese Gospel concert planned for North Perth in September and Armadale hosting an international dinner with a special emphasis on new parishioners, a “welcome to Australia” picnic, while Thornlie and Lockridge reported that many migrants are very settled and have been in the parish for many years, therefore do not need much assistance.
Vietnamese parishioners at Lockridge are picked up by the Vietnamese chaplain and are helped via their community, while Thornlie hosts an annual Multicultural Mass with migrants wearing their ethnic dress, featuring songs and prayers in their own vernacular.
The parish based at the Redemptorist Monastery in North Perth has been holding an annual barbeque for a number of years for migrants and refugees in coordination with the Edmund Rice Centre in Mirrabooka. Up to 300 people reportedly attended the last one.
Parishes can also put up a world map in the church pinpointing locations where the local migrants are from.
For more details on how to include migrants in the Catholic community or about the pastoral plan, contact Archdiocesan Vicar for Migrants Fr Blasco Fonseca on 9438 3704 or email mmccombe@iprimus.com.au or Pastoral Plan Team member Judith Woodward by email woodward@it.net.au.