For 45 years, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week (NMW). This is an opportunity to reflect on our history as an immigrant Church and the ways in which our country has been enriched by generations of immigrants, including the many Catholics who have adopted this land as their own. It is also an occasion to grow in appreciation of the challenges faced by migrants and refugees, both in the United States and beyond, and to express solidarity through prayer, accompaniment, and advocacy. Pope Francis had chosen “Migrants, missionaries of hope” for this year’s theme.
This year, National Migration Week takes place September 22-28 and culminates with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR). Although WDMR typically occurs on the last Sunday of September, this year it will take place on October 4-5 to coincide with the Jubilee of Migrants. The primary theme for this year’s WDMR is “Migrants, missionaries of hope,” which “highlights the courage and tenacity of migrants and refugees, who bear witness daily to hope for the future despite difficulties.”
In solidarity with the Holy Father, National Migration Week is using the same theme as WDMR and emphasizes the ways in which this theme and its application to the migration question is important for the Church in the United States. Given the timing of WDMR this year, we have developed resource for the Jubilee of Migrants, “Pilgrims on the Way of Hope”, which will help people to prepare both for the Jubilee and WDMR.
One concrete way to participate in this year’s NMW is by signing The Cabrini Pledge that appears on the USCCB website:
The Cabrini Pledge
The Cabrini Pledge on the USCCB website is both a reminder of our immigrant heritage and a call to deeper engagement with our faith in response to current events. At a time when our culture is dominated by deep political divisions and reasonable disagreements about immigration policy, progress can feel impossible. But by witnessing to the God-given dignity of every person, including the migrants and refugees in our midst, we pave the way for an approach rooted in mercy, justice, and the common good. And together, like Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, we can be keepers of hope. To take the pledge online, please click here
I PLEDGE:
• To affirm, in word and deed, the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of immigration status or country of origin, seeing each as a child of God before all else.
• To engage with Scripture and the Church’s social teaching, reflecting on the role of migration in salvation history, the history of the United States, and the history of my own family.
• To listen and learn about the circums
tances facing migrants and refugees, including those in my community, with an open heart and mind.
• To seek opportunities for encounter, so as to grow in deeper understanding and communion that leads to an authentic solidarity with those in need.
• To consider what it means to be a good neighbor and how I am called to reflect the love and hope of Christ to others.
• To encourage civic dialogue that places the human person and the sanctity of families at the center of policymaking, especially toward the end of meaningful immigration reform.
• To join with Pope Leo in praying for all migrants and refugees as fellow travelers on the journey to our true homeland.
• © 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops -reprinted with permission of the USCCB