WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.

January 11, 2018

This coming Sunday, the Catholic Church celebrates the World day of Migrants. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has sent a message for this occasion. Basically the Pope is giving us 4 important actions we can do to promote this culture of HOSPITALITY toward migrants. 1 – Welcoming, especially those who come from war torn area of the world and those who are dying of starvation. 2 – PROTECTING – Many of these immigrants, especially children and women are very vulnerable and cannot protect themselves. It is our responsibility to do that. 3 – PROMOTING – These brothers of ours do not only need food and lodging, they are human beings who need to develop their lives to their fulfillment, like we all do. 4 – INTEGRATING – On both sides we can help integrate into the new society, without destroying their own culture. A successful process of integration will respect both cultures of those who come into a country and those who already live there.

OUR PARISH is blessed with a great number of migrants and refugees. It is a cultural wealth that we do not want to miss. Let us see how we can welcome, but most of all promote and integrate these brothers and sisters, whom the Lord has sent to our parish family.

If the migrant is not your brother, then God is not your father.

About Fr. Walter

Father Walter Tonelotto was born in Italy in 1947 and entered the Scalabrini Seminary at an early age. At 20 he was sent by his superiors to study Theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, New York and then to the Toronto School of Theology. He holds a Master in Divinity from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa and a Master in Moral Theology from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University, New York City.