OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“The decision to migrate should always be free, yet in many cases, even in our day, it is not. Conflicts, natural disasters, or more simply the impossibility of living a dignified and prosperous life in one’s native land is forcing millions of persons to leave.” (Pope Francis, message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Sept. 24, 2023)
Millions of people around the globe are on the move today and not by choice. Many are forced to flee their homes because of violence, persecutions, wars, natural disasters and dire poverty. During this year’s 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), Pope Francis delivered a profound message that resonates deeply with forcibly displaced persons, including those affected by the devastating wildfires in Lahaina.
“‘For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’ (Matthew 25:35-36) These words are a constant admonition to see in the migrant not simply a brother or sister in difficulty, but Christ himself, who knocks at our door.”
By responding to the needs of the vulnerable among us, the pope says we can all do our part to welcome, protect, promote and integrate every person in our community as a member of one ohana.
Referring to the early Christian communities who shared their resources with those in need, Pope Francis encouraged all to be committed to helping those forced to flee their homes. “To make migration a choice that is truly free, efforts must be made to ensure to everyone an equal share in the common good, respect for his or her fundamental rights, and access to an integral human development. Only in this way will we be able to offer to each person the possibility of a dignified and fulfilling life.”
On a recent visit to west Maui’s Sacred Hearts School, we were blessed to witness these words in action as a diverse mix of migrant families from Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Americas, and Europe gathered in support of students, teachers and parents who lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods in the Maui wildfires. While volunteering with Maui’s “ministry of presence” and Catholic Charities Hawaii at the Lahaina Civic Center, we talked story with wildfire victims who found solace, healing and strength by helping their neighbors in need.
Stories of compassion and resilience in the face of devastating loss are inspiring hope among the community. For example, a Lahaina postal worker who lost his home expressed prayerful gratitude for the unforgettable kupuna he had been blessed to meet daily on his Front Street route, which is now gone. Spanish and Tagalog-speaking families sheltered in hotels shared harrowing stories of escaping the fires and how their faith now anchors them as they seek relief and recovery. One migrant family of 11, whose Mexican Grinds food truck and rented home were obliterated, remained hopeful about rebuilding their business and future on Maui.
The Lahaina Center hosted a Filipino fair, where hundreds impacted by the wildfires gathered to share their support for one another. On a Saturday morning in St. Anthony Church’s parking lot in Wailuku, volunteers from most of Maui’s parishes gathered to pick up and deliver appliances donated from the mainland for those displaced by the wildfires. Days earlier, the monthly vicariate meeting discussed establishing a “faith-sharing accompanying” ministry to complement professional mental health services being provided on Maui.
These examples are signs of hope emerging from shared vulnerability being transformed into the strength of solidarity.
In closing his 2023 WDMR message, Pope Francis encouraged the world to see all forcibly displaced persons as special companions on our journey, deserving of our love and care as brothers and sisters. “Only by walking together will we be able to go far and reach the common goal of our journey.”
Let us continue our relief and recovery efforts on Maui in the spirit of Pope Francis’s prayerful conclusion: “God, Father Almighty, grant us the grace to work tirelessly for justice, solidarity, and peace, so that all your children may enjoy the freedom to choose whether to migrate or to stay … Sustain us by the power of your Spirit, so that we can reflect your tender love to every migrant whom you place in our path, and to spread in hearts and in every situation the culture of encounter and of care.”
For the full text of Pope Francis’s message please visit www.humandevelopment.va For more information on these ongoing efforts, stay tuned to the Hawaii Catholic Herald.
Mahalo.
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
