Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants

“Where is your brother or sister?”

Each year the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference promotes a special Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants. This year’s theme is taken from Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ where he speaks of his distress about the various forms of human trafficking. He quotes the book of Genesis and challenges us not to look the other way but to recognize our migrant brothers and sisters who are experiencing exploitation. Migrants and refugees are part of our community, but they may not always be seen or heard.

Caritas Aotearoa state ‘’the theme is particularly topical given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as migrant communities are among the most vulnerable to the impacts. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the economy worldwide, here in New Zealand, the government has been quick to offer emergency benefits to New Zealanders –however one big chunk of the workforce who are missing out are migrant workers.” In the Gospel reading today we hear Jesus say to his disciples three times some variation of “fear not” or “do not be afraid”. Christ’s disciples (this includes us) are called to be fearless.

But how hard is it for migrant workers to be fearless when here in New Zealand about one in ten of our workforce is an overseas worker on a temporary visa? With fragile visa situations, unfamiliarity with the culture and language, and the pressure to financially provide for family back in their homeland, losing their job or their income makes them the most vulnerable for worker exploitation.

Pope Francis acknowledges that the task of overcoming human exploitation takes “courage, patience and perseverance”, but it is a task that we all must take part in. He challenges us “to open our eyes, to see the misery of those who are completely deprived of their dignity and their freedom, and to hear their cry for help.How does our community hear the cry of our brothers and sisters in Christ? How do we fearlessly respond as the body of Christ to the current plight of refugee and migrant workers in the Wellington area?

Debbie Matheson, Lay Pastoral Leader