OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“Do not tire of courageously living the Gospel, which calls you to recognize and welcome the Lord Jesus among the smallest and most vulnerable. I entrust all child migrants, their families, their communities, and you who are close to them, to the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth; may they watch over and accompany each one on their journey.” (Pope Francis, World Day for Migrants and Refugees 2017)
January is Poverty Awareness Month. It is also the beginning of the official re-organization of all Catholic social ministries worldwide. As of Jan. 1, most of the Catholic mercy ministries are now coordinated through the Vatican’s new department for Promoting Integral Human Development. This office includes the Section on Migrants and Refugees that has the primary mission to “accompany people at all stages of migration, especially those who are in one way or another forced to move or to flee.”
On Jan. 15, our Holy Father greeted pilgrims from ethnic communities around the world gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the World Day for Migrants and Refugees. Speaking on the theme of the day, “Child Migrants, the Vulnerable and the Voiceless,” Pope Francis said these “small brothers and sisters of ours, especially those who are unaccompanied, are exposed to so much danger … therefore we must adopt every possible measure in order to guarantee child migrants protection and defense, as well as their integration.”
The pope pointed to St. Frances Cabrini as an example of how to “treat foreigners and bring God’s love to those who were lonely and in hardship.” Mother Cabrini was an Italian missionary nun who spent most of her life setting up orphanages, hospitals and schools for marginalized immigrants in the United States.
“This courageous sister dedicated her life to bringing the love of Christ to those who were far from their homeland and families,” the pope said. Our Holy Father added that her witness can help us learn “to take care of our foreign brother, in whom Jesus is present, often suffering, rejected and humiliated.”
St. Frances Cabrini became a naturalized U.S. citizen and the patron of all immigrants.
St. Marianne Cope of Molokai was also an immigrant to the United States and a missionary nun who served the marginalized. Today, Hawaii includes many immigrants, as well as migrants and refugees. Micronesians are officially migrants in Hawaii, but could also be considered refugees of climate change which is causing their islands to disappear.
This year, the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl theme is “Encounter with God.” It will include a special “Story of Hope” from our diocesan initiative called One Ohana: Food and Housing For All which features the efforts of Chuukese members of our local parishes.
On Feb. 1 all are invited to a Rice Bowl kick-off at St. Elizabeth Parish in Aiea from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact rfautanu@rcchawaii.org and go to http://www.crsricebowl.org/stories-of-hope/week-6.
We encourage all to learn more about the Rice Bowl Stories of Hope and other Rice Bowl inspiring resources available to experience an “encounter with God” through the migrants and refugees in our midst and around the world.
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
