 Just one day after returning from the week-long Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop William T. McGrattan presided at the World Day of Migrants and Refugees Mass on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The liturgy, organized with Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, Couples for Christ, and St. Mary’s Cathedral, drew together migrants, refugees, and parishioners to pray in solidarity with people who have been forced to leave their homelands. Pope Leo XIV, in his apostolic message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, frames migrants as “missionaries of hope” whose courage and perseverance bear witness to God’s promise of new life. He links this hope to the virtue described in the Catechism (n. 1818), a longing for the ultimate happiness that God has placed in every heart. In his 2025 message for the day, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the witness of migrants and refugees themselves. Migrants, through their courage and perseverance, become missionaries of hope, teaching us that even in the midst of loss and suffering, God’s promise of new life endures.
He recalled his visits to St. Peter’s Square in Rome, where the monument “Angels Unawares” by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz depicts more than 140 migrants and refugees crowded together on a boat. “You see children, mothers, the elderly, priests, those of different nationalities. Each time I go to that sculpture, I notice parts that are warped. It might be the child, or the elderly. It’s a reminder that people are moved to pray and to touch this statue because of the condition and situation they find themselves in.”
The Bishop reminded the congregation that this parable is not just a story of the past but a living call to examine our own attitudes toward those on the margins. In Calgary, the Church’s response has taken root for decades. The Diocese established the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society in the 1980s, initially to serve Vietnamese refugees, and it continues to welcome people from Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and beyond today. "The need keeps growing for us as a Church to open our doors, and to welcome the stranger." “Our world sometimes needs much more of a witness of welcome and hospitality,” Bishop McGrattan said, “especially to the refugees and the migrants.”
As the homily came to a close, Bishop McGrattan left the faithful with a challenge: to take the parable of Lazarus to heart by looking honestly at their own attitudes. “Are we hospitable? Are we open to receiving those who are most in need, those who are fleeing their countries for safety, stability, or to ensure that their families are kept intact? Many continue to be persecuted. We, as a Church of Christians, must continually respond.” The World Day of Migrants and Refugees reminds us that faith calls us to welcome and solidarity. As Bishop McGrattan urged, may we not take the attitude of the rich man, "but take the attitude of Abraham, who is known as the symbol of hospitality, the image of that who welcomed the strangers in his midst, and was blessed to be in the presence of angels.” Photography: Bandi Szakony.
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Refugees are deeply connected to both our Christian tradition and the daily realities of our modern world. Whether you’ve come to understand this through the Church’s teaching, the more caring forces in our contemporary culture, or something as simple as the story of the Holy Family fleeing King Herod during the Massacre of the Innocents, most of us appreciate the plight and importance of refugees in world history. Today, like yesterday, refugees remain on the move in search of safety, wellbeing and a new life. In regions where we serve, both with our Church partner and colleagues, the desperate cry of refugees and migrants echoes through the alleys and valleys, conveying their deep desire to not only survive, but to retain a remnant of hope for a better tomorrow. In almost all areas of our work, we hear their stories daily. It is during the crucial first moments of displacement that their cries are the loudest, but their need for essential services, goods and pastoral support almost always extend beyond months, and all too often years. On this day, when we call to mind refugees around the world, we think of faithful stewards like Sister Bernadette D’Hauteville and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who have been present in Aleppo, Syria since 1914. Before the outbreak of conflict in 2011, their convent was equipped to receive aging sisters from across the region. Before the civil war, the community counted some 23 sisters. Today, four remain. Originally from France, Sister Bernadette spent some 50 years living in various places throughout the Middle East, but returned to Aleppo in 2014 to serve those needing refuge. In a recent exchange with CNEWA, sister reminisced how during the war she had a very important role to play in welcoming everyone – without regard to the circumstance or situation. Millions of people, including many Canadians, have been steadfast in remembering heroes like Sister Bernadette and have supported people like her and families around the world facing the devastating effects of conflict, poverty or other forms of disaster. Acts of charity delivered by us and our partners are all the more effective and expansive thanks to the ongoing generosity of Canadian Catholics. Despite living in a post-pandemic world with its own difficulties, members of our Canadian Church have been faithful in giving of their love, prayers and financial support to those who need it most. As we mark this day in union with humanitarian and faith-based organizations around the world, CNEWA Canada will continue standing in solidarity with many people in need – feeding them when they are hungry, bandaging them when they are injured and sheltering when they have no place to call home or at risk of losing hope. This work is a direct response to the call of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel, where we are called to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick. As an instrument of healing and hope, as per our mission, we bind the wounds of a broken world. Quietly, prayerfully, joyfully, we live out the great command to “love one another.” May we continue to support refugees of all stripes and be great witnesses of love and care for those in need. Our work is incredibly important and life-giving, yet far from over. Why? Because every day is World Refugee Day. Written by Dr. Adriana Bara from CNEWA Canada.
 Why would 10 Syrian refugees want to visit Writing-on-Stone of all places? Well, if they are accompanied by dedicated volunteers who want to spend a day making new friends and meeting snakes head-on, then wishes fulfilled! On June 11, 2022, several Syrian refugees, part of three families who have been settling into life in Lethbridge, Alberta, went on an outing to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. These families had not been outside of Lethbridge since their arrival to Canada. Some have been here a few years, and the latest just arrived on April 14 of this year. They relished the chance to see this Unesco World Heritage Site. The entire day was very capably organized by Trudy Niggli and the CWL of Allerston Parish, a mission church of St. Peter’s Parish in Milk River. The day started with a Mass at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Allerston. It was a poignant start to a day that was heaped to the top with blessings and graces. The Mass was arranged specifically for the visiting Syrian families, so Fr. Salvador Ahumada’s sermon reflected on the experiences these families have gone through. He spoke of their forced relocation; seeing the weakness of man; leaving behind loved ones and belongings; grappling with learning a new language and culture. He exhorted them to hear the Lord calling them, to keep praying and to hope in Him. “You needed to be strong, and came here out of need, not want.” He challenged them to be the ones who can make the change, to see God’s hand at work, and to lean on Him for strength. He also prayed that our society may once again be Christian, and to pray for the ones left behind. Fr. Sal reminded them that they had a responsibility to encourage others in the faith. We left the church feeling blessed and inspired.   After the Mass, we continued into the Writing-on-Stone Park, where George Kardoh played on his Karbouka (Egyptian hand drum) , accompanying the singing of Syrian folk songs. Everyone enjoyed the true Canadian experience of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfire, and dodging the smoke. The park guide, after a Blackfoot introduction, gave us a free tour of the petroglyphs, and a snake even said hi on our path! A perfectly timed thunder burst after the campfire led into an impromptu and hilarious polka dance as we waited out the storm in the picnic shelter. It was truly a memorable day with new friends, and thought-filled conversations about the refugee situation. This day came from an initiative of Fr. Kevin Tumback, pastor of All Saints Parish. He suggested pooling three parishes together to support the refugees. So St. Martha’s Parish, All Saints in Lethbridge, and Allerston Mission Parish near Milk River joined forces and the results have been heartwarming. All Saints Parish had already hosted two Syrian families, so their expertise was very helpful with settling the following two families. Brian Wright, a long-time member of All Saints Refugee Committee says, "Our Syrian families do cause us to pause and reflect on how fortunate we are to be living in Canada. It is also wonderful to be welcomed to their family just as we have welcomed them. We are the surrogate family for them in Canada, and it is a lifetime journey of sharing, learning from each other, and supporting them in their everyday life in Canada. For us, it has been an expansion of our family." Another long-time member, Maureen Barnard, reflected that we are the family for these refugees. "We are their security as we help them navigate a new culture, a new language and a new life. We are their friends when they feel alone. We are their advocate when they need help to find a job , or get to school or go to a doctor. We are their voice when they do not yet have a voice here in Canada. It is a journey worth walking with our refugees. We feel the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ walking right beside us, every step of the way. We have witnessed so many miracles as people come forward and give from their hearts, often providing just what was needed at the time." Lana Takla, who arrived in Canada 6 years ago, talks about coming from a village where their whole life revolves around the two hundred and fifty or so residents plus the priest and their church. They are deeply dependent on our Lord for their daily lives and they miss that community when they come to Canada. They are in constant fellowship in Syria so they miss the other family members they have left behind. Mazyed Takla, who came to Canada with his family in October, 2021, felt that he misses the food, the weather, their music, their friends and their homes. George Kardoh, the most recent arrival (April of 2022), expresses that he feels welcomed and loved here in Canada but awaits anxiously the rest of his family. He feels very alone at times. They all love the fact that they can trust a bank, the government, and they know that no one here will try to do them harm. They trust us but there are still many challenges - learning a new language, cultural and food differences, financial burdens, and the longing to be reunited with family left behind. The Refugee Committee embraces the work we do as servants of the Lord. We are His body on earth, and we are richly rewarded in this work. “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)
Called to action In the fall of 2015, a committee of St. Mary’s parishioners, the FCJ Christian Life Centre Staff and FCJ sisters answered a global call for help and sponsored one refugee couple and their child from Syria, says Curran. Less than a year into that project, the committee discovered three fundamental truths about the Christian reaction to refugee sponsorship. First, the 12-month commitment mandated under federal sponsorship rules isn’t nearly long enough for the people you’re helping; second, when the people involved open their hearts to the process, 12 months isn’t long enough for the volunteers, either; and third, when you start to help people who need a particular kind of assistance, you’re likely to meet more of the same. That last reality demands decisions about whether you step up or look away. “But it’s not really a choice,” admits Sr. Curran. “We do it because Jesus did it.” The call to help more refugees arose soon after the group connected with the first family. As that family took its first steps towards settlement, Curran’s group found itself helping another Syrian family. Over time, they also helped two more. Since the newcomers all shared the same Melkite Greek Catholic tradition, it wasn’t long before members of the St. Mary’s and FCJ group were attending masses with the new Canadians. Determined to help the refugees develop relationships in their own cultural community, FCJ Centre also started to host an annual Syrian Christmas party with help from three Catholic schools in the downtown area, St. Monica’s, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Mary’s. In 2018, that event attracted more than 130 people. It’s down from the 180 who came the first year, “but the people who come really enjoy it and the little ones love seeing a Syrian Santa.” In addition to helping the Syrians connect with other Arabic speakers in the Catholic community, the group reached out to members of the city’s Turkish Muslim community. Called by their mandate “to live out of our abundant resources,” the FCJ Centre now invite their Muslim friends to an annual barbecue on the FCJ Centre grounds, says Curran. 
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December 2025
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