Originally published at Southern Cross
SAN DIEGO — The Catholic Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees since 1914. It is an occasion to express concern for different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for them as they face many challenges; and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.
Every year, the day is celebrated on the last Sunday of September; in 2024, it will be celebrated on the 29th. As the title for his annual message, the Holy Father has chosen “God walks with His people.”
“It is an occasion charged with salvation because Jesus is present in the sister or brother in need of our help. In this sense, the poor save us, because they enable us to encounter the face of the Lord.”
Locally, the Church continued to encounter and assist migrants and refugees through Catholic Charities. The organization operates programs that assist immigrants and refugees and operates two Migrant Respite Shelters in San Diego and Imperial counties.
The shelters welcomed 98,183 asylum-seekers from June 2023 to June 2024. Nearly a third of them were families, according to the organization.
The shelters have served a total of 362,233, of which 95,922 were children, since they opened