Celebrating National Migration Week, January 8-14

For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week. This year's theme, "Creating a Culture of Encounter," is drawn from Pope Francis' homily given at his first Pentecost as pope. The Holy Father emphasized the importance of encounter in the Christian faith: "For me this word is very important. Encounter with others. Why? Because faith is an encounter with Jesus, and we must do what Jesus does: encounter others."

In his homily for the annual Migration Mass, celebrated on the feast of the Epiphany, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, FCCB president, reflects upon the many ways immigrants and refugees who, like the Magi bearing gifts, have contributed to our Church and our nation. "But too often in our contemporary culture, we fail to encounter the migrants as persons, and instead look at them as "other." If we are self-absorbed it becomes easy for us to remain aloof to their presence and suspicious of their intentions. National Migration Week reminds us that the migrant is a child of God - whatever his or her status or country of origin may be," stated Archbishop Wenski.

Migration Week educational materials and resources are available for download from the USCCB.