Text: Bishop Patrick Lynch at Mass for Migrants

Bishop Patrick with congregation after Mass

Bishop Patrick Lynch SSCC was Principal Celebrant at the Mass for Migrants at Westminster Cathedral on Monday, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. A full report follows later today. The following text is based on a recording of his homily.

About two months ago I was carrying out a visitation at a parish and I came across a group of Filipinos. I started up a conversation with them and I was surprised to find out that it was their first Sunday in London. They had arrived from the Philippines three days previously and were beginning work at Kings College Hospital the following morning. What struck me immediately, was how how quickly they had found out where the nearest Catholic Church was, and how enthusiastic they were about their faith. Moreover, I was also deeply impressed by the fact that they were all well qualified in different specialist arreas of nursing.

Now I start with that experience because our Mass today, on the feast of St Joseph the Worker, is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the tremendous contribution that migrants make to our church and our society. Not only here in London but throughout the country. And secondly, it is an opportunity to speak up for and to speak out for, the most vulnerable migrants living here in the United Kingdom. It is important first of all I believe, to affirm the tremendous contribution of migrants to our society and to our church here in London. You enrich through the values you live and through the work that you do. Your dedication to national institutions like the National Health Service, as doctors and nurses but also carers and cleaners, is invaluable. You have been willing to take on low paid jobs like catering cleaning, domestic service, and agriculture in fish and food processing. And you've been willing to work in difficult and sometimes dangerous work in the fishing industry. The Church recognises and appreciates the work you do and the gifts you bring. We must, as Pope Frances says in Evangeli Gaudiem overcome paralysing .. and integrate those who are different. We cannot accept the attitude of some who criticise migrant workers but at the same time are willing for society to benefit from the hard work and the very low paid employment that migrant workers often do.

In today's First Reading we are reminded that we are all made in God's image and we are all called to cooperate with God in building a better world together. It is important therefore that we continue to create a society that fully integrates both socially and culturally. Likewise your contribution to the Catholic Church has for many years been immense. For many years in parishes up and down the country, but especially in large cities, have benefited from the faith, the joy and prayerfulness of immigrate communities from all over the world. First, from Ireland then the West Indies, then Poland and the Philippines and other parts of Asia, and most recently Africa and eastern Europe and South America.

While immigration does present challenges, both social and cultural, it is important to recognise how we as a Church have been tremendously enriched by the presence and prayer of migrant communities. Let me give you one specific example. A few weeks ago a attended a wonderful concert in St Peters Church in Woolwich in South London. Six Gospel choirs representing four Catholic schools and one parish. .. the church was packed. Over 250 young people - 90 per cent of them with an African background, inspiring us with a wonderful repertoire. For me it was a wonderful example of how migrants have brought new life into our worship reminding us and worship and prayer must come from from the heart if it is to touch the heart of others and indeed attract others.

As a Church, we must also speak out … especially the poorest and the most vulnerable. Today's Gospel describes the hostile reaction to Jesus' prophetic teachings. His teaching always had both a comforting and a challenging character. Always proclaiming the message of hope but always calling his listeners to change and.. Jesus always presents us with a choice and we can respond positively like the disciples or negatively like the people. Likewise we are called to proclaim a message of hope to those who are poor and vulnerable.

This is a theme very close to the heart of Pope Francis. Again and again in Evangeli Gaudiem, he calls us to recognise the suffering of those experience wars and poverty… in our world today. In that way the Church must be especially concerned two of the most vulnerable migrants groups in our society, victims of trafficking, and undocumented children. At a recent conference in Rome on combatting trafficking, Pope Francis himself described human trafficking as "an open wound on the body of Christ". In Evangeli Gaudiem he advises us to open our eyes and see our brothers and sisters who are enslaved in clandestine work, prostitution, children used for begging, undocumented labour

Not all trafficking takes place across international borders but --- all of us must therefore become more aware of the problem of human.
human trafficking, more courageous in reporting the existence of human trafficking, more generous in supporting those who work with the victims, survivors of human trafficking and more open to working together to eliminating human trafficking.

I would like therefore to commend Her Majesty's government on the recent introduction of the bill on child slavery and I … to combat and eliminate human slavery. Secondly the recent report No Way In No Way Out highlights the very difficult situation that thousands and thousands of undocumented children of irregular migrants are facing here in the United Kingdom at this present time. Many have been born in this country or have lived nearly all their lives here. They seem to be caught between conflicting policy agendas, namely the protection of children's rights on the one hand and the enforcement of immigration control on the other. I would ask the government to look as a matter of urgency at possible proposals which might provide effective and workable pathways for undocumented migrant children to have legal status.

So in conclusion, in today's Mass we celebrate and appreciate the wonderful contribution that migrant workers make to our cities, to our society and to our churches . But we also pray for the courage to be the sign of compassion that Pope Francis calls us to be. Welcoming, helping and speaking up for the most vulnerable in our world today.

See also: ICN 6 May 2014 - London's three diocese gather for annual Migrants Mass www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24674

Pictures from the Migrant Mass are on the ICN Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Catholic-News-ICN/195368037167900