The Jesuit Migration Network provides humanitarian assistance to thousands of refugees and migrants, including food, medicine, temporary shelter, psychosocial support and legal assistance. Photo: RJM-CANA
On World Day of Migrants and Refugees, September 29, Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) stands in solidarity with people who have been forced to flee within or outside their countries due to war, persecution, human rights violations, and other factors.
CJI highlights the work of its Jesuit partners who accompany and advocate for forcibly displaced people through emergency relief and long-term development projects.
CJI supports the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Colombia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and several countries in Europe.
JRS provides humanitarian relief, learning opportunities for children, youth and adults, medical assistance, child protection activities, psychosocial support, safe spaces for women and children, and more. It also leads a global campaign on hospitality to refugees and migrants.
In Latin America, the Jesuit Migration Network (RJM-CANA in Spanish) provides humanitarian assistance and accompaniment to thousands of vulnerable refugees and migrants from Central America, South America and other parts of the world. The network provides food, medicine, temporary shelter, psychosocial support, and legal assistance.
The World Day of Migrants and Refugees is observed every year on the last Sunday of September. The Catholic Church has been celebrating this day since 1914 as a time to remember and pray for “people on the move.” The theme of this year’s commemoration is “God walks with His people.”
In his message, Pope Francis urged the faithful to “unite in prayer for all those who have had to leave their land in search of dignified living conditions.”
He said, “God not only walks with his people, but also within them, in the sense that he identifies himself with men and women on their journey through history, particularly with the least, the poor and the marginalized. In this we see an extension of the mystery of the Incarnation.”
The Pope said today’s migration has similarities to the biblical exodus. “Like the people of Israel in the time of Moses, migrants often flee from oppression, abuse, insecurity, discrimination, and lack of opportunities for development. Similar to the Jews in the desert, migrants encounter many obstacles in their path; they are tried by thirst and hunger; they are exhausted by toil and disease; they are tempted by despair.”
