Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

In a message ahead of the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the U.S. bishops’ migration chair highlighted Pope Francis' call for solidarity with migrants. Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, emphasized that encounters with migrants should be seen as encounters with Christ.

"(The pope) emphasizes that every encounter with migrants is an encounter with Christ, urging us to respond with compassion, recognizing their struggles as a reflection of our shared journey toward the Kingdom of Heaven," said Bishop Seitz in a Sept. 19 news release.

The USCCB release also marked the beginning of National Migration Week, observed from Sept. 23-29 this year. The Catholic Church in the U.S. uses this week to draw attention to challenges faced by migrants and refugees and encourages Catholics to respond with compassionate acts.

Catholic dioceses and institutions across the country plan to commemorate this week through events such as special Masses, volunteer opportunities, and immigration legal clinics.

Pope Francis' message for this year's World Day of Migrants and Refugees emphasized that "God walks with his people," particularly the poor and marginalized. He likened modern-day migrants to God's people on their way to an eternal homeland.

"It is possible to see in the migrants of our time, as in those of every age, a living image of God’s people on their way to the eternal homeland," wrote Pope Francis.

He noted that like the Israelites during Moses' time, modern migrants often flee oppression and face numerous hardships such as thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and despair.

"God not only walks with his people but also within them," added Pope Francis. He pointed out that many migrants carry religious items like Bibles and rosaries during their journeys for solace.

According to United Nations estimates from 2020, there were about 281 million international migrants worldwide (3.6% of the global population). In 2023, there were approximately 117.3 million forcibly displaced people globally according to UN data.

Pope Francis reiterated Jesus Christ's teaching from Matthew 25 about helping those in need: "Every encounter along the way represents an opportunity to meet the Lord."

The USCCB's statement directed individuals to its Justice for Immigrants website for ways to support migrants during National Migration Week through prayer and action. The site includes volunteer suggestions and resources prepared by Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

"Migrants are a contemporary icon of this people on a journey...it is in them...that we can encounter the Lord who walks with us," stated a webpage from the dicastery promoting initiatives involving vulnerable populations.

In closing his message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis urged unity in prayer for those seeking better living conditions: "Help us keep walking together with our migrant brothers and sisters toward the eternal dwelling you have prepared for us."