Pray for the 2014 National Migration Conference

The 2014 National Migration Conference, a gathering hosted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), and Catholic Charities USA, is being held in Washington D.C. this week.  It is intended to build the capacity of the Catholic Church and society to advance the life and dignity of the human person in our work with immigrants, migrants, refugees, unaccompanied migrant children, victims of human trafficking, and other vulnerable people on the move. 



The purpose of this conference is to:

    - to share and apply Catholic Social Teaching on migration;
    - to share information on domestic and international issues affecting the life and dignity of  immigrants, migrants, refugees, trafficking victims and other vulnerable people on the move;
    - to prepare and organize participants to carry the message on these migration issues both to Congress in Washington, D.C., and to constituencies and political leaders in their own communities;
    - to deepen the capacity of diocesan and parish leaders to serve, minister to, and advocate for  immigrants, migrants, refugees, trafficking victims, and other people on the move by providing skill-building workshops, and by sharing strategies, best practices, materials and activities that  are useful at the local level;
    - to gather in the context of the Catholic social tradition to teach, pray, and celebrate the work and accomplishments of our networks.

Let us pray for the success of this gathering, and recall the words of Leviticus (19: 33-34): When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.