Tag: refugees

Three Years of Home Office Vigils for Migrants

October 2024 Vigil outside the Home Office. Photo: Pat Gaffney

By Abi Yendole

This month’s Migrants Vigil at the government’s Home Office in London marked three years of monthly prayers there for people who have died trying to reach the UK and for the UK to be a more welcoming nation. An organiser, Barbara Kentish, said. “If only we could say things were better, but alas, we need to pray harder than ever.” The one-hour vigils are co-sponsored by Westminster Justice and Peace Commission, London Catholic Worker and London Churches Refugee Fund.

Brother Johannes Maertens of the London Catholic Worker gave a reflection on his visits to Calais and the work of an arts refugee project that uses maps and art to encourage refugees to tell their stories. He commented that some of the young men he met had been on the road for six years.

The names of people who died a year ago – in October 2023 – trying to enter Europe or the UK were read out and a prayer of repentance said afterwards: “You told us to welcome strangers in our land, but we have hated, humiliated, imprisoned, and killed those who have asked for our hospitality. Forgive us and help us to change.”

Around 30 people attended the latest vigil on Monday 21 October. James Trewby (Columban Justice, Justice, Peace and Ecology coordinator) and Abi Yendole (Columban Faith in Action Volunteer) accompanied the Justice and Peace Committee of 16 Year 10 students and one teacher from St George’s School in Maida Vale to the vigil.

One student said afterwards: “Hearing all the names and stories of those who have died meant I was able to personify every victim; give every victim a face; it was powerful.” Pope Francis has said something similar, captured on the refugee memorial in Dover, that, “every migrant has a name, a face and a story.” Another student said: “As a member of the justice and peace group, going to the Home office to pray for refugees has been a profound and humbling experience. Standing in solidarity praying for those seeking safety and refuge, I felt the weight of their struggles and the urgency of advocating for justice. In the quiet moment of prayer, we offered up hope for a system that could see beyond the borders to the humanity of those in need. It was both a spiritual act of compassion and a call for action, reminding me of the power of community and faith in pursuing change.”

Also present on Monday were representatives from churches around London, Jesuit Refugee Service, London Catholic Worker, Pax Christi England and Wales and Seeking Sanctuary.

Intercessions included the prayer: “We pray for the end of the hostile environment, and the creation of safe, legal routes to claim asylum in this country.”

Watch: Refugee Action Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcaM89VzkEY

Sunday 29 September: World Day of Migrants and Refugees

In a message to mark the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Bishop Paul McAleenan has praised the Catholic community in England and Wales for the generous welcome and kindness many offer to refugees and migrants.

“Fundamental to our Christian faith is the belief that we are all a pilgrim people on our journey to our true homeland. God is with us and we travel together,” says Bishop McAleenan, the Lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees for the Bishops’ Conference. “They are looking for a place to settle, where they can live in peace with their families and have the opportunity to prosper. They are, indeed, a pilgrim people. And God walks with them.”

Bishop McAleenan believes that many parishes have responded positively to those fleeing harm and seeking sanctuary to rebuild their lives:

“I wish to thank all of you in parishes and communities who are providing support and welcome to migrants and refugees who reach these shores… There are many, many parishes in this country who have positively responded to the stranger seeking asylum… Surely through your actions, migrants and refugees who experience such hospitality can more easily believe that God is with them.”

Participation

The theme of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees is ‘God walks with His People’. We have many days of prayer in the Catholic calendar, so it is always useful to offer some practical advice to the faithful to encourage participation in the day.

“I’d like to suggest how you might celebrate this day in your parish, in your school or community,” says Bishop McAleenan. “Perhaps you can have a short prayer vigil, reflecting upon on a scripture passage which recounts how God accompanied his people on a long and dangerous journey through the desert and ask him to protect those on the move today.

“If you do have a prayer vigil, please invite migrants and refugees to join you. If your parish is blessed with grounds, you may consider having a procession – walking around the area in silence, or reciting an appropriate prayer – that would be a demonstration of solidary with all those on the move.

“If you know someone who is a refugee you may wish to invite them to join you and your friends for a tea or coffee. Why? Simply to encounter them – a word beloved by Pope Francis – to speak to them, to listen to their story, if they wish to share it.

“In such ways, we open our minds and hearts to our brothers and sisters and perhaps any prejudices or misunderstanding we may have will be dispelled.”

Saturday 28 September: An International Mass with the Ethnic Chaplaincies will be celebrated at Westminster Cathedral by Cardinal Vincent Nichols