Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney commissioned 46 Parish Migrant Ministry leaders from five parishes in the Paterson Diocese, N.J., during a Spanish Mass on June 29 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J. The ministry, launched in February, is part of the new Migrant Pastoral Ministry initiative of the diocese.
The initiative takes its name, “Come and See,” from the missionary spirit that inspires it. The ministry, formally known as the Ministry of Service, Accompaniment, and Justice, aims to form lay leaders equipped to respond to the needs of immigrant communities amid today’s pressing migration challenges.
Along with St. Anthony’s, the other parishes involved in Migrant Pastoral Ministry are St. Margaret of Scotland in Morristown, N.J.; St. Paul’s in Prospect Park, N.J.; St. Gerard Majella in Paterson, N.J.; and Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville, N.J.
During the commissioning, Bishop Sweeney handed each parish leader a Bible signed by him and a certificate. An initiative of the bishop, the new ministry operates under the guidance of Father Duberney Villamizar, pastor of St. Margaret’s and diocesan vicar for Hispanic Affairs.
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Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were the pastors of the five Migrant Pastoral Ministry parishes and Father Alex Gaitán, director of Migrant Pastoral Ministry for the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.
Aligned with the Pope and the V Encuentro, Migrant Pastoral Ministry responds to the call of Pope Leo XIV to walk alongside those most in need and implements the priorities of lay leadership, immigration ministry, and faith formation outlined within the framework of the V National Encuentro.
Parish groups help those with immigration challenges, such as detention, deportation, passports, and citizenship, by providing or referring them to the proper resources. They also help them with immediate needs such as food and baby items.
“Everyone in Migrant Pastoral Ministry wants to make people in the pews aware of the needs of those around them and make sure we care for them,” said Miguel Rodríguez, diocesan coordinator of the ministry. “We want people to know we can help them with their migration issues by offering them the resources we have available. We also want to invite people in the pews to get involved to help,” he said.
The diocese launched the ministry on Feb. 21. Later, the ministry held a program rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and civic topics. Part of the training included a practice session on the Peace Circles technique, a tool designed to help process tensions arising from migration crises.
The Migrant Pastoral Ministry is currently active in the Archdioceses of Chicago, New York, Stockton, Joliet, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Newark, and Orange, Calif. With the addition of Paterson, nine dioceses now form this national network of immigrant-to-immigrant ministry.
For more information, contact Miguel Rodríguez at MRodriguez@patersonDiocese.org.
