Freedom Watchers Set The Downtrodden Free
September 15, 2026
Diocese of East Anglia Lourdes Pilgrimage 2026
September 17, 2026
Sunday 27 September is the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Pope Leo’s message, which has the theme “Even just one of these children”, draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them and to the Lord’s promise that “whoever receives one such child in my name receives me” (Mk 9:37).
Bishop Peter, having noted that several parishes have a well-established custom of holding an International Mass on a regular date that may not be the same as the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, has said that, while it is not his intention that they should change their practice, “I want to encourage every parish to formulate their own celebration of our migrant communities.”
He hopes that every parish newsletter for Sunday 27 September will note that it is the World Day of Migrants and Refugees and remind the parish when and how it marks and celebrates the welcome it has given to new migrant communities and the contributions those communities have made to the life of the parish.
Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) has also issued a statement for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, calling Catholics to prayer, reflection and solidarity with migrant children and young people. CSAN has produced a guide for parishes and catechists, which explores Catholic social teaching on migration, highlights the challenges facing migrants and refugees, particularly children, and suggests practical ways in which individuals, parishes and Catholic institutions can offer support.
David Livesey of Caritas East Anglia said that, in his recent encyclical Magnifica humanitas, the Pope observed: “A litmus test for social justice today is the treatment of migrants, refugees and those forced to move due to poverty, violence, climate change and environmental disasters. The way a society treats them reveals whether its sense of justice is driven by fear or by the spirit of fraternity. Pope Francis urged us to see migrants not simply as a problem to be managed, but as a living image of the People of God on the move. They are people with dignity, resources and dreams, who have the right to be treated with respect and to ask to become active members of the societies that welcome them” (para. 81).
Examples of established International Masses in the diocese are:
Pentecost colour, flags and culture across East Anglia
International flavour to Peterborough church festival
International food festival, history talks and Leprosy Day
Pentecost event, choir celebration and election resources
St Edmund’s International Pentecost Mass
The diocese celebrated the Jubilee of Migrants and Refugees in 2025:
Flags, faith and fellowship at Jubilee Mass for migrants
The annual Mass for Migrants is a joint celebration hosted by the Dioceses of Brentwood, Westminster and Southwark. Celebrating the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, this vibrant event highlights the profound contributions that migrant communities make to the faith, life and economy of the UK.
