Refugees

Refugees are individuals who have fled their countries of origin and who meet the United Nations’ criteria of having a “well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, national­ity, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” Currently, global displacement is rampant with approximately 82.4 million people around the world that have been forced out of their homes – with an estimated 34,000 people displaced per day. The Catholic Church in the United States cares deeply about the plight of refugees around the world and advocates for and participates in their resettlement in the United States. Read the materials taken from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Justice for Immigrants website to learn more about the dynamics underlying forced migration, the Catholic Church’s position on refugees and resettlement, and how you can help stand in solidarity with refugees.

"I would like to ask you all to see a ray of hope as well in the eyes and hearts of refugees and of those who have been forcibly displaced. A hope that is expressed in expectations for the future, in the desire for friendship, in the wish to participate in the host society also through learning the language, access to employment and the education of children.”