“One Church, one home, one family” – Pope’s Migrants and Refugee Day Message

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis has highlighted the importance of fraternity and inclusiveness in the 2021 Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, scheduled for 26 September.

“No matter where you are and why you are there, every baptized person is a full member of the local Church community, a member of the one Church, an inhabitant of a single home, part of one single family,” said the Pope.

The Holy Father’s message for the World Day was released on May 3. It is themed: “Towards an ever wider ‘we’,” indicating a clear horizon for our common journey in the world.

Part of the ‘We’

Ahead of the occasion, the Vatican’s Migrant and Refugee section released one of a series of videos on Friday, titled, “One Church, one home, one family.”

It recounts the personal experience of several migrants who have felt welcome as members of a parish.

“I feel very at home here, in Saint Luke’s Parish,” said Jean François from Quebec. “It’s truly a community of belonging.”

“We are always welcome and don’t feel any different from any other parishioners,” said Mylene Reyes from the Philippines. “You will always get a blessed smile, a hug, and we can approach everyone.”

“It is a special parish because we feel a big sense of belonging, it does not matter what my background [is] and whoever I am talking to.”

Lina Maria from Colombia notes that the people in the parish have come from different places yet they have grown a lot because there is a lot of diversity.

She added that even though immigrating disconnects people from their place of origin, they find friends who are like “a real brother or sister” in the Church which is “really a family [and] a home.”