For more information please click here.

Prayers for Migrants and Refugees

Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God’s family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

• To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;
• To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;
• To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;
• To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;
• To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Cultural Diversity Music

Throughout the Catholic world, religious expression takes on a variety of forms, even while each of these expressions convey a common Faith. The experiences, the environment and the history of a people help to shape the way in which they understand and relate to the teachings of the Church. All the while, Catholics everywhere are members of one church and express the same basic fundamentals, all be it at times in different ways. This diversity in unity could not be more apparent than in the wide range of religious music that helps to feed the spiritual life of the Catholic faithful across the world. Thanks to the St. Camillus Choir of St. Camillus Church in Washington DC, we have an opportunity to share with you some examples of religious music that is used in diverse settings, but always with a shared purpose: the celebration of our Faith.

For more on Cultural Diversity Music and to hear MP3 samples please click here!