The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) is hosting the National Week of Prayer and Action for Refugees this week
Here’s a prayer you might like to use over the course of the week:
God, Father Almighty,
grant us the grace to work tirelessly
for justice, solidarity and peace,
so that all your children may enjoy
the freedom to choose whether to migrate or to stay.
Grant us the courage to denounce
all the horrors of our world,
and to combat every injustice
that mars the beauty of your children
and the harmony of our common home.
Sustain us by the power of your Spirit,
so that we can reflect your tender love
to every migrant whom you place in our path,
and to spread in hearts and in every situation
the culture of encounter and of care.
Each year, CAPSA holds a National Week of Prayer and Action (NWPA) to engage the Australian Catholic community across schools, organisations, and parishes, to take action and stand in solidarity with people seeking asylum. This year the National Week of Prayer and Action will be running 4th-8th September 2023.
You can find out how you can take action by tuning into CAPSA’s webinar, Freedom to Live for Refugees and People Seeking Asylum, this Tuesday September 5 (4.30-6pm AEST). CAPSA has put together an excellent panel featuring key experts in the sector, including those with lived experience.
Migrant and Refugee Sunday is also coming up later in September. The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) has put together an excellent information kit for World Day of Migrants and Refugees (24 September), featuring messages and reflections from the Pope, stories of lived experiences, and homily notes for parishes and schools.