Archdiocese of Philadelphia issued the following on Sep. 28
The 106th World Day for Migrants and Refugees was celebrated worldwide on Sunday, September 27th.
Faithful throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are invited to join in prayer or in spirit for a virtual rosary rally to observe the 106th World Day for Migrants and Refugees (WDMR).
Our local gathering to express solidarity with the efforts of the Universal Church will take place on Thursday, October 22nd and coincide with the Feast of Saint John Paul II.
The rosary rally is being sponsored by the Office for Cultural Ministries of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. That office is comprised of the Office for Hispanic Catholics, the Office for Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees, and the Office for Black Catholics. The prayerful initiative seeks the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and Saint John Paul II for the protection of migrants and refugees around the world who have been displaced due to violence or economic hardship in their countries of origin.
Thursday, October 22, 2020
8:00 p.m.
ZOOM
Meeting ID: 878 8306 0777
Passcode: ROSARY
The rosary rally will feature a pre-taped inspirational message from Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez as well as the five decades of the rosary being led in various different languages.
Locally, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia continues to assist these newcomers to our land and aims to strengthen the relationship between migrants and their local communities by dispelling fear and inspiring communities to build relationships with those forced to leave their native lands.
Since 1914, the Catholic Church has celebrated World Day of Migrants and Refugees as an occasion to express concern for many different vulnerable people on the move, pray for and assist them in their challenges, and increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.
This year, Pope Francis has chosen the theme “Forced like Jesus Christ to flee” which focuses on the pastoral care of internally displaced people (IDPs). IDPs, as defined by The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “have been forced to flee, to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, particularly as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflicts, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, but who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.”
For more information on WDMR, please visit https://migrants-refugees.va/
Original source can be found here.
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