Commemorating World Day of
Migrants and Refugees
On the 20th September, 40 participants joined an online prayer and reflection session to commemorate World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Pope Francis had chosen the theme ‘God walks with his People’ and we were blessed to hear the personal stories from Fr Joseph Hampson SJ, JRS Asia Pacific Regional Director, and Fr Jun Nakai SJ, Coordinator of the JCAP Migrants and Refugees Network.
Fr Joe (as he is better known) started the evening’s session with some of the significant personal encounters he had experienced in his many years in JRS, journeying with refugee communities from different parts of the world. He emphasized the JRS way of accompaniment and the importance of protecting the dignity of the person — in life as well as in death. He related an incident which he encountered during his work in Africa, when JRS took up the task of providing a proper burial for Angolan refugees who had passed away. This gave great comfort to their families. As he concluded his reflection, Fr Joe urged all of us who experience the warmth comfort of our homes not to remain indifferent to the lives and plight of our displaced brothers and sisters.
After Fr Joe’s sharing, our intercessory prayers were led by our JRS volunteers Karen Singarayar, David Lau, Christopher Chua, Agnes Peng and Corina Sobrielo. We observed a moment of silence to lift all our own prayers and petitions.
Fr Jun closed the session on a personal note. He shared a treasured picture which he received from a refugee brother who had fled from Myanmar, and with whom he had become good friends. Looking at the picture, he was struck by the warm solidarity depicted in the embrace of St Paul and Onesimus (a slave). Fr Jun delivered his thoughtful message — that when our hearts are open to love, we come to experience others as “our own brothers and sisters”. And as Christians, we recognize Christ himself in each of our excluded brothers and sisters. He then closed with a beautiful prayer and a blessing for all participants.
Special thanks to our JRS Singapore prayer warriors’ team, led by Agnes Peng, and our Asia Pacific Regional Advocacy & Communications Officer Git for co-ordinating this spirit-filled evening of prayer and reflection. We were also blessed to have friends from different countries joining us to pray together in solidarity for all the migrant and refugee brothers and sisters we serve.
Let us always remember that we are together in this journey. God is present with us; and he is near in the midst of His people.