The Church will mark the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) on the first weekend of October, coinciding with the Jubilee of Migrants in Rome, taking place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October.
The two-day Jubilee will include moments with Pope Leo XIV: a Jubilee Audience on Saturday at 10.00am and the celebration of Holy Mass on Sunday at 10.30am, both in St. Peter’s Square.
Resources prepared by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development are available online to support dioceses and parishes in marking the day. These include liturgical texts, prayers, and suggested activities for children, young people, and adults.
In his message for this year’s World Day, titled “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope”, Pope Leo XIV called attention to the global crises that continue to force millions from their homes. “The current global context is sadly marked by wars, violence, injustice and extreme weather events,” he wrote, warning that “the widespread tendency to look after the interests of limited communities poses a serious threat to the sharing of responsibility… and global solidarity for the benefit of our entire human family.”
At the same time, the Pope pointed to the witness of migrants themselves:
“In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see.”
He emphasised that migrants not only embody hope, but also bring new life to the Church:
“With their spiritual enthusiasm and vitality, they can help revitalise ecclesial communities that have become rigid and weighed down. Their presence… should be recognised and appreciated as a true divine blessing.”
The Holy Father entrusted all those on the move to the care of the Virgin Mary, Comfort of Migrants, praying that she may “keep hope alive in their hearts and sustain them in their commitment to building a world that increasingly resembles the Kingdom of God.”
As the Church celebrates this year’s WDMR within the Jubilee of Migrants, Pope Leo XIV’s message calls on Catholics everywhere to recognise migrants as “missionaries of hope” and to stand with them as brothers and sisters on the journey of faith.
