Unity Corner with Dr Ian Watson
September 15, 2025
The Diocese of East Anglia will mark the Jubilee of Migrants with a special Mass at St Luke’s, Peterborough, at midday on Saturday 4 October 2025.
The celebration will be led by Bishop Peter Collins, with the support of Fr Peter Wygnanski, and organised locally by Fr Jeffrey Downie, parish priest of St Luke’s and dean.
The Jubilee Mass is an opportunity for the whole diocesan family to gather in thanksgiving with and for the many migrant communities who continue to enrich the life of the Church in East Anglia. From the earliest centuries, the Christian faith was carried into this region by missionaries and travellers from abroad. The pattern has never ceased: throughout history, people on the move have borne the Gospel with them, planting it anew wherever they settled.
Today, migrant communities remain vital to the Church. They bring vibrancy to parish life, sustain devotions and traditions from many cultures, and witness powerfully to the universality of the Catholic faith. In a society often marked by division, their presence is a living reminder that the Church is one body, made up of many nations and peoples.
This year’s Jubilee echoes the message of the late Pope Francis for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which highlights the courage and faith of those who journey in hope:
“Many migrants, refugees and displaced persons are privileged witnesses of hope. Indeed, they demonstrate this daily through their resilience and trust in God, as they face adversity while seeking a future in which they glimpse that integral human development and happiness are possible. Migrants and refugees remind the Church of her pilgrim dimension, perpetually journeying towards her final homeland, sustained by a hope that is a theological virtue.”
The Jubilee of Migrants will therefore be both a moment of gratitude and a call to solidarity – recognising the richness that migrant communities bring to our parishes, and recommitting ourselves to welcome, encouragement and shared hope.
All are welcome to attend this diocesan celebration. If you plan to be present, please e-mail caritas@rcdea.org.uk for further information.
