London's three dioceses gather for annual Migrants Mass

Procession after Mass

More than 2000 Catholic migrants living and working in London attended a special Mass for Migrants, celebrated by Bishop Patrick Lynch of Southwark Archdiocese, at Westminster Cathedral yesterday, 5 May. The Mass for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, reflected the tremendous diversity of London’s Catholic community, with colourful banners and dress, along with music from around the globe. “It is the highlight of the year for the three London dioceses of Westminster, Southwark, and Brentwood” said Bishop Lynch and he thanked the Justice and Peace Commissions, as well as the ethnic and migrant chaplaincies of the three dioceses, for organising it. Around 50 priests concelebrated.

Over 30 dignitaries attended, including the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, as well as other Members of Parliament, Mayors from eight London Boroughs and representatives from ten embassies, including the Ambassadors or High Commissioners of Spain, Sri Lanka, Côte d’Ivoire and Latvia.

The Mass for Migrants has been celebrated every May Bank Holiday since 2006. The Mass reminds London of the invaluable contribution of so many migrants to the city’s society and economy. It offers a profound witness to the Church’s insistence that the dignity of the human person is God-given and never withdrawn and reminds us of the very deep resonance with refugee and asylum concerns

“This is an occasion that provides a great opportunity to celebrate migrants” said Bishop Lynch; “we and the Church have benefitted from the joy and prayerfulness of our migrant communities”. He also felt the service should remind the Christian community “to speak up for migrants who are vulnerable in the UK”. He singled out victims of human trafficking and undocumented migrant children as needing a special focus. “All of us must become more aware of the problem of human trafficking and more generous with those who support victims of trafficking” he said. With government minister Vince Cable MP sitting in front of him, Bishop Lynch congratulated the British government on its new Bill to eliminate trafficking and slavery, but urged the government “to have the rights of undocumented children recognised”. He was referring to unaccompanied migrant children; children who have migrated with or come to join close family members, and children who are born in the UK to irregular migrant parents. His sermon was warmly applauded by a packed congregation at the end.

Biddings prayers at the Mass were spoken in a variety of languages, including Mandarin, Swahili and Tagalog. The ‘Our Father’ was said by the congregation in their own languages. Banners heading up the aisle at the end of the mass included Westminster Justice and Peace, Syro-Malabar churches of India, the London Chinese Catholic Association and London Citizens. The Ghanaian community was out in force and led the Offertory procession at the Mass.

Filipino migrant workers from the group ‘Justice for Domestic Workers’ (J4DW) used posters to highlight the removal of basic rights protections from migrant domestic workers in the UK, including the vital right to change employers, which allows workers to escape abuse. Groups of religious at the Mass included a large contingent of Mercy Sisters who are based in London and the Columban Fathers who have long campaigned with migrants for better working conditions in the UK.

In recent years, Catholic Churches in London have seen a growing number of parishioners from Africa and Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, the islands of the Caribbean and more recently from South America.

See also: ICN 6 May 2014 - Text: Bishop Patrick Lynch at Mass for Migrants www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24672

and photos on ICN's Facebook page.