WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Before the celebration of the National Migration Week of the U.S. Catholic Church, which this year will take place from September 22 to 28, the U.S. bishops reiterated their long-standing efforts to show solidarity with immigrants amid the “fear and anxiety” caused by current immigration control measures.
Catholic social teaching on immigration seeks to balance three interrelated principles: the right of people to migrate to sustain their lives and those of their families; the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration; but also the duty of a nation to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.
“The U.S. bishops have consistently expressed their solidarity with immigrants amid the fear and anxiety caused by current immigration control measures”, stated a communiqué issued on September 18 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
“The bishops have asked, and continue to press for, ‘a more humane migration system that protects our communities and safeguards the dignity of all.’ This includes fostering bipartisan collaboration among policymakers”, it stated.
For 45 years, “the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week by reflecting on its history as an immigrant Church and on the ways in which the country has been enriched by generations of immigrants, including the many Catholics who have made this land their own. It is also an opportunity to better appreciate the challenges faced by migrants and refugees, both in the United States and abroad, and to express our solidarity through prayer, accompaniment, and advocacy”.
Normally, National Migration Week culminates with World Migrants' and Refugees' Day on the last Sunday of September, but this year the universal Church will celebrate World Migrants' and Refugees' Day on October 4 and 5, coinciding with the Migrants' Jubilee.
In March, the late Pope Francis chose “Migrants, missionaries of hope” as the theme for the world day celebration, linking it to the Jubilee's message of hope, “highlighting a key distinctive feature of his pontificate and in recognition of the value and resilience of migrants and refugees who daily witness to hope despite difficulties”, according to the USCCB statement.
In his message for World Migrants' and Refugees' Day, Pope Leo XIV has continued to emphasize the dignity of migrants: “In a world darkened by wars and injustices, even where everything seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity are a heroic witness to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and that gives them the strength to defy death on the different contemporary migration routes”.
“National Migration Week invites Catholics across the country to reflect on how hope can shape and inform our collective response to migration”, states the USCCB declaration. “Dioceses, parishes, schools, and Catholic organizations across the country are encouraged to celebrate this commemoration with prayer services, educational programs, community support activities, and support for migrant-related ministries”.
The Justice for Immigrants website offers a toolkit for National Migration Week 2025, which includes resources to help communities prepare spiritually and pastorally.
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