Creating a world where immigrants, refugees, migrants, and people on the move are treated with dignity, respect, welcome and belonging.
Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope
In 2003, the bishops of the United States and Mexico issued a joint pastoral letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope (Spanish), that presented a Catholic framework for responding to the ongoing migration phenomenon in their respective countries. Please take an opportunity to read and reflect on this pastoral letter so that you can better understand Church teaching as it pertains to migration.
Grounded by our belief in Jesus Christ and Catholic teaching, Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) fulfills the commitment of the U.S. Catholic bishops to protect the life and dignity of the human person. We serve and advocate for refugees, asylees, migrants, unaccompanied children, and victims of human trafficking.
The U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration sets broad policies and direction for the Church's work in the area of migration. The Committee oversees the work of, and provides guidance to, the USCCB's Department of Migration and Refugee Services, which is comprised of various administrative, policy, and programatic offices, including:
The above MRS offices represent the bishops' interests in policy formulation and communication, advocacy, education, refugee resettlement, and other specialized services to at-risk and vulnerable populations, such as victims of trafficking and unaccompanied migrant children. The Committee actively promotes the U.S. bishops' migration-related interests with public policy-makers at the national and international levels. Committee members and MRS staff periodically testify before Congress and meet with administration officials to advocate on behalf of the bishops' positions. Among the high-priority policy concerns of the Committee are comprehensive immigration reform and long-term integration solutions for newcomers. Consistent with its concern for the most vulnerable and the plight of forcibly displaced persons, the Committee occasionally arranges site visits to refugee areas of the world to evaluate conditions and make formulate recommendations for both the United States and international community.
MRSConnect is for diocesan staff working in partnership with USCCB/MRS to provide services to refugees and migrants and others on the move. It provides program-specific information, resources, and trainings as well as broader resources to support this ministry. For more information email @email.
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