As a board member of the National Catholic Migrant Farm Workers Network I was invited to participate in the meeting of PCMRT (Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers) that was held in Washington DC on July 10-12 at the Theological College, Catholic University of America.
The group included representatives of the whole Church, bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity. The conference of bishops convened this meeting to listen to the needs of our migrant community taking into account cultural diversity.
It was a very enriching experience to hear diverse viewpoints from different cultural backgrounds and realities that came from migrants including farmers, truckers (as), people traveling with racing horses, working at sea, at the circus or carnivals, and in general all those who are in constant movement.
Given this reality we worked at round tables with very specific questions addressing the needs of our migrants and to seek new ways the church can respond to this reality.
Among the most significant were:
-We need to stop being a church of maintenance, for the Missionary Church needs to go and meet people where they are.
-To administer the sacraments and liturgical services outside the Temple creating new structures that respond to the realities of people in constant movement.
-To have shelters and social services where they feel welcome and receive counseling, legal advice and immigration, English classes, financial aid and other resources so they can adapt to the system of this country. Larger networks of relationships with Catholic Charities.
-Too look for integration and avoid assimilation.
-Promote activities to raise awareness of the cultural richness that exists between members of the parishes.
-Conversion of the heart so that it can be open to discover the richness of diversity and that before God we all have the same dignity.
-Experiences with insertion-immigrants for seminarians to sensitize them to go to this reality.
-Never lose sight of Jesus as the center of our Integral Evangelization and that we are sent by Him to evangelize “all nations.”
We concluded with a Eucharistic celebration at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Mary asking her to be our model of discipleship so that she can guide us to serve with missionary spirit our migrants that are in this country.
Sister Gabriela Ramirez mgsps
