December 18: International Migrants Day - Missionaries of Hope

On December 18, the world marks International Migrants Day, a moment to honour the courage, resilience, and dignity of the more than 280 million people worldwide who have left their homelands in search of safety, opportunity, and hope. For the Catholic Church, this day is not only a call to solidarity—it is a reminder of the profoundly spiritual dimension of migration. 

In his message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Leo XIV invites us to reflect on migration through the lens of hope. He reminds us that migrants are not merely people in transit. They are, in his words, “missionaries of hope.” 

A World in Movement 
We live in a global moment marked by deep upheaval, where wars, violence, economic inequalities, and extreme weather events are forcing families to leave homes they love in search of safety elsewhere. The Holy Father notes that the temptation to “look after the interests of limited communities” threatens our ability to pursue peace, cooperate with one another, and care for our shared human family. 

In the face of such instability, Pope Leo XIV calls for “a growing desire… for a future of peace and of respect for the dignity of all”—the future envisioned by the prophets, where “old men and old women sit in the streets… and the city is full of boys and girls playing” (Zech 8:4–5). 

This is the future God desires for all people, and one we glimpse whenever communities choose welcome over fear and solidarity over indifference. 

The Hope that Moves People 
The Catechism teaches that the virtue of hope responds to the God-given desire for happiness in every human heart. For many migrants today, this hope is what propels them forward—often through great danger, uncertainty, and loss. 

Pope Leo XIV writes that migrants “demonstrate resilience and trust in God,” witnessing daily to a hope that often outshines the darkness around them. The Scriptures echo their journey. Like the people of Israel wandering through the wilderness, migrants continue to trust in God’s protection: “He will cover you with his pinions… his faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Ps 91:4). 

Even when the world is shaken by conflict or shadowed by despair, migrants stand as living reminders that hope can survive and flourish against all odds. 

The Church: A Pilgrim People 
Migration not only shapes human history—it also reveals something essential about the Church. We are, Pope Leo XIV reminds us, a pilgrim people, always journeying toward our true homeland in God. 

When the Church becomes too comfortable or inward-looking—what he calls the temptation of “sedentarization”—she forgets her missionary identity. 

Here, migrants play a profound role. Catholic migrants and refugees often become missionaries of hope in their new communities. Through their faith, vitality, and cultural richness, they help renew parishes, strengthen interreligious dialogue, and bring new life where spiritual desolation has begun to take root. Their presence is not a burden—it is a blessing. 

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,” Scripture tells us, “for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb 13:2). 

Communities of Welcome 
The Holy Father also reminds us that the mission of hope does not belong to migrants alone. Communities that welcome newcomers can themselves become witnesses to hope by recognizing the dignity of every person as a child of God. 

When communities offer hospitality—practical, emotional, and spiritual—they testify to a future where no one is excluded. They help ensure that migrants are not merely “settled” but integrated, able to share their gifts, participate fully in community life, and build a shared future. 

This work of welcome is the mission of the entire Church: clergy, religious, lay leaders, families, and parish communities working together to create spaces of belonging. 

Entrusting the Journey 
On this International Migrants Day, as we pray for all who are on the move—those fleeing danger, those seeking opportunity, those hoping to reunite with family—Pope Leo XIV entrusts every migrant and refugee to the protection of the Virgin Mary, Comfort of Migrants. 

May she “keep hope alive in their hearts,” and strengthen all who work to accompany them. 

Our Call Today 
As disciples, we are invited to:

• See migrants not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters 
• Recognize their courage, faith, and resilience as witnesses of hope 
• Advocate for just policies that protect human dignity
• Build communities where newcomers can flourish 
• Welcome Christ himself in the person of the migrant (cf. Mt 25:35) 

Migrants bear witness to a truth the world often forgets: that hope is stronger than fear, and that every journey can be guided by God’s promises. 

May their witness inspire us to walk alongside them—so that together, we may help build a world that more fully reflects the Kingdom of God, the homeland toward which we all journey.