The UN designates the June 20 as World Refugee Day, honoring people around the globe who are forced to flee. This year's theme is "For a World Where Refugees Are Welcomed."
Due to climate change and drought, as well as violent conflict in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Palestine, Myanmar, and other countries, the number of refugees is ever-growing. The UN estimates that there will be 130 million people forcibly displaced by the end of 2024. You can read more about their figures at the UN High Commission for Refugees website (www.unhcr.org).
Maryknoll Missioners are among those who serve the needs of refugees. To name but a few, Maryknoll Sister Dee Smith serves the migrant population at the Guatemala-Mexico border. Maryknoll Lay Missioner Dee Dungy is a refugee advocate in Nairobi, Kenya. Maryknoll Father John Barth assists the local church in Thailand to provide humanitarian aid for refugees from Myanmar.
The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign offers a toolkit for Catholic parishes which includes the prayer below. Follow up by taking action and write to your members of Congress for U.S. support of refugees using the form below.
Photo of Sr. Dee Smith, MM, delivering aid to migrants on the Guatemala-Mexico border. Prayer and Photo from the USCCB Justice for Immigrants Campaign.