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Diocesan Migrant Pastoral Day
On Sunday, February 24, 2019, wetook part in a meeting organized by the Migrant Welfare group of the Diocese of Annecy. About a hundred people of different nationalities, languages and religions came. They originated from countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, including Lebanon, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Among them were many asylum seekers. Christians and Muslims realised they felt part of the same family.
The day began with the "hello chain" in different languages. This created a joyful and friendly atmosphere. Three people gave their testimony:
A mother of four: from Kosovo testified to the welcome and friendship she enjoyed upon her arrival in the village.
Thanks to this
friendship, she was able to overcome the enormous difficulties she faced. She has now obtained her papers and she demonstrated to us all, with great emotion, how grateful she was.
Two Frenchwomen from a small parish explained how the word of the Gospel "Ephata", heard at Mass, led to the creation of a small team of 15 people. They have been looking out for ways to reach out to others and are committed to welcoming and accompanying a family of asylum seekers to their parish. What came over most clearly was all they were gaining from these encounters.
The team had come into contact with young people from a high school to whom they spoke about the migrant situation. They, in turn, wanted to become involved and invited a young migrant to go skiing with them. At Christmas many invited friends and family to celebrate with the migrants and to share what they had been discovering.
The morning continued with discussions where we shared our experiences of joy despite our frailties. The exchange was very rich and full of simplicity and confidence, thanks to the attentive listening to one another. The children formed their own groups, accompanied by one or two adults.
At the end of the morning, each group read a few phrases remembered from their conversations and wrote them on a dove. These were placed on a huge rainbow, a symbol of our diversity.(see above)
At lunchtime, everyone enjoyed the various dishes prepared by different families and it was a beautifully animated time for dance and celebration.
The day ended with two options: the Eucharist for Catholics and a time of sharing for Muslims. We were surprised to find that some Muslim Kosovars stayed with us for the Eucharist, brothers and sisters of the same Father …together.
Sr Anna and Sr Marie
