On January 13, 2018, Christians of different nationalities celebrated the World Day of Migrants and Refugees with a [special] mass and [several] cultural activities in the Parish of St. Joseph in Haifa.
The dance, the music and the colorful outfits, in addition to the silence of prayer, reflected not only cultural differences, but also the hope of those who left their homeland. The mass concluding song for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees was performed by a festive group from Eritrea. They left their country because of the difficult political situation. Some of them dream of returning home one day.
DANIEL TEDLA
“Eritrea”
“If the situation in my country gets better, I would not want to stay here. God only knows how much I wish to go back. I want things to get better in the future.”
The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate, Mons. Giacinto-Boulus Marcuzzo; the homily was given by Mons. Georges Bacouni, bishop of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church of Acre. Taking inspiration from the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, Bacouni highlighted the need for the conversion of the mind to Christ and the need for charity to foreigners. This is not an easy task, especially considering the actual context in Israel.
Fr. RAFIC NAHRA
Coordinator of the Pastoral Care of Migrants
“At this time, the situation is complicated due to the enactment of a law according to which refugees must leave the country by the end of April. It is a difficult time: we must pray for this situation and [we must] find a solution.”
The coordinator of the Pastoral Care of Migrants stressed the fundamental need of human dignity to be guaranteed for this population. Pope Francis himself expressed concern in his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018.
Fr. RAFIC NAHRA
Coordinator of the Pastoral Care of Migrants
“This is a shared responsibility among different countries, which must enact international laws to protect these people. It is also a mission of the Church. Pope Francis, in his letter, recommended welcoming, protecting and integrating migrants and refugees.”
According to Father Rafiq, today in Israel, there are about 240 thousand migrants and 40 thousand refugees, who came from countries like the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Romania, Eritrea and Sudan. Most of them leave their country because of wars, persecutions, natural disasters and poverty. The option to leave the country of origin becomes mandatory compared to the desire to stay. They keep their roots alive, but at the same time they integrate themselves into the society of their new country, thanks to the work of the Pastoral Ministry on Migrants, which organizes catecheses, prayer meetings and individual encouragement activities.
BERNARDITA BALIANTAN
Philippines
“If I had the chance, I would definitely go back to my country.”