During July, PCMR mailed out the largest distribution of National Migration Week (NMW) materials since the inception of the program in 1980 at the United States Catholic Conference. In addition to the MRS and PCMR networks, the 1998 poster and booklet were sent to all U.S. parishes, to Catholic elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, to directors of religious education, diocesan superintendents of schools, state officials of Catholic schools, diocesan and religious community supervisors of schools, and directors of education of teaching orders. The Social Action network of the Department of Social Development and World Peace also received copies. This amounted to a total distribution count of 31,000.

Materials include a four-color poster, and a booklet containing suggestions for responding to the needs of immigrants, migrants, and refugees on the personal, family, and parish/school/organization levels. In addition, data is provided to help combat the continuing anti-immigrant xenophobia spreading around the world. PCMR is also sponsoring an NMW Small Grants Program. Applications are included in this issue.

Bishop Joseph L. Howze, AOS Episcopal Promoter, will lead the U.S. delegation which also happens to be the largest. The President of the Pontifical Council on Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, Archbishop Giovanni Cheli will present a major paper on “The Apostolic Letter, Stella Maris, of Pope John Paul II.” Seafarers from around the world will later share their personal experiences in a round table session.

Bishop Yanta concelebrated Mass with local priests for the migrants, and enjoyed other experiences as well—home cooked meals, potluck suppers, and spending time with the migrants, their families, and pastoral ministers. Bishop Yanta concluded his visit at a Mass concelebrated with Toledo Bishop James R. Hoffman and Rev. Richard Notter, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish, and former executive director of the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network.

The theme of this year's congress, Evangelization 2000, was enthusiastically presented by Rev. Thomas Forrest, CSsR. Brother Francis Nguyen Van Tri gave the keynote talk on pastoral models, followed by breakout sessions on the models now utilized in the United States. Other topics included issues and concerns of Vietnamese youth and young adults in U.S. society, and American church history.

A highlight of the conference was the presence and participation of Archbishop Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan of Rome. Archbishop Thuan was appointed Archbishop of Saigon in the closing months of the Vietnam War. Arrested in 1975 by government authorities, he remained imprisoned until 1988, when he was compelled to flee Vietnam. Archbishop Thuan is currently the Vice President of the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace. In addition to leading a panel discussion on the challenges and directions of youth ministry, Archbishop Thuan presided at a liturgy for congress participants and the larger Vietnamese community at the Vietnamese Martyrs Parish.

Afterward, conference participants and the local community enjoyed a banquet dinner and entertainment by the parish youth. The conference closed with a plan of action for evangelization in Vietnamese Catholic communities throughout the United States.

Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, papal pro-nuncio to the United States, was the main celebrant of the dedication Mass. Also attending were Washington Cardinal James Hickey, episcopal leaders of the three Catholic rites in India—Latin, Syro-Malankara, and Syro-Malabar and other Indian bishops and priests.

Following the Mass and dedication of the oratory, participants gathered for a reception, festive dinner and entertainment at the nearby Ukrainian Catholic church hall. The dedication ceremonies also marked the occasion of the 50th anniversary of India’s independence on August 15, 1947.

Now that the people of Hong Kong have come under Chinese rule, they celebrate because they once again belong to a country. This is an important milestone in their lives when everyone must make important decisions about their spiritual life. Should they follow Jesus when many of their countrymen are atheists? The Chinese have inherited from their ancestors valuable traditions such as moral and family values which are consistent with the Gospel. However, this value system has dramatically changed in Mainland China. The sacred nature of marriage, the value of life, and a strong moral sense are constantly being challenged. The people of Hong Kong face a tough challenge to follow Jesus; they need support from their fellow Catholics.

Please pray for the Church in Hong Kong. The Diocese of Hong Kong is staying with the people and has launched various renewal programs to strengthen the faith of the lay people. Please pray for the people of China. Its 5,000 years of cultural, family, and moral value systems, which in many respects are consistent with the Bible, are impacted by the government, society, and the outside world. Please pray for the Church in China. Only a Church approved by the government is allowed there. Please pray for the Church under test. Please pray these Christians may soon be united in Christ. Please pray for the Churches all over the world, that they do not take for granted their religious freedom.

Source: Report submitted by Rev. Joseph Chiang, National Pastoral Center for the Chinese Apostolate, Paramus, New Jersey.

Cut off from the Universal Church since 1949, the Chinese Catholic population has grown threefold. This success has been achieved as a result of the long standing faith of the Chinese Catholics. Growth has also been due in some measure to religious policies and laws on religion promulgated by the PRC government. However, inconsistencies in application of these provisions have resulted in many problems and internal divisions which remain to be resolved.

Despite many obstacles, the Chinese Catholic Church looks in hope toward the new century. Vocations to the priesthood and religious life are abundant; and lay leaders are assuming a more active role in Church life. Such growth means that religious formation and education are a key priority of the Chinese Catholic Church. It is being addressed in collaborative programs with sister-churches in Asia, Europe and North America.

The second major priority of the Chinese Catholic Church is strengthening ecclesial structures and diocesan management, in accord with canon law and Vatican Council II revisions. The call to reach out in mission with Chinese Catholics and the Church in China, has been continually encouraged by Pope John Paul II.

The Holy Father has repeatedly attested to his care and concern for Chinese Catholics, calling all of them to an authentic fidelity and reconciliation. Last December he also appealed to the PRC authorities for “the authentic freedom...to ensure that those who believe in Christ...may...contribute...to the development of their country.” Noting the Chinese nation’s importance in the international community, and the admiration of the world for the Chinese people, their culture and enterprising spirit, the Pope prayed to “see fully expressed the witness of Chinese Catholics to their faith and their contribution to the preaching and witness of the Gospel on the eve of the 3rd millennium.”

Source: U.S. Catholic China Bureau

The Benadiris were admitted as Priority One, UNHCR refugees. Under this category, they could only bring spouses and children under the age of 21. As a result, many families left close relatives behind—mothers, brothers, sisters, and some children. The total Benadir population in Somalia was about 40,000 and most of them lived in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. They kept their support systems in the refugee camps after they fled the civil war in Somalia. But now that the extended family has been broken, those who are here feel as if they left a part of themselves behind.

The Benadiris are appealing to U.S. authorities to reconsider the family reunification restrictions imposed on them. They emphasize their gratitude for having been given a new lease on life, but feel that their transition here would be more complete if the family structures they knew in Somalia were restored. “We are crippled here without our families. Please offer us additional resettlement slots for those of us who were left behind,” said Omar Yusef Ashir, an elder who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. Despite this major concern, the Benadir community is actively involved in readjusting to life here. Their belief in “working not begging” has resulted in 85 percent of all employable Benadiris getting jobs.

Source: Excerpts from African Refugee Network, July 1997, Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc., Arlington, VA.

The Nung have been in detention in Hong Kong’s “New Territories” for many years. In May, the UNHCR mandated this group as refugees and considered their applications for U.S. resettlement. Approximately 34 Nung cases consisting of 200 persons were processed. As the cases were on an expedited track, assurances were submitted immediately after allocation. Some were allocated prior to interviews and medicals. The first Nung arrivals came to the United States starting on June 19.

Source: Refugee Processing Flash, June 18, Migration and Refugee Services, USCC, NY, NY.

NOTE: Dick Hogan, MRS/NY, reports that 177 Nung refugees arrived in the United States, 77 of whom were resettled through USCC in the Dioceses of Charlotte, Los Angeles, Orlando, Richmond, and Seattle.

These religious workers are catechists, nuns, brothers, cantors and others who perform occupations related to their religious vocation and their religious commitment. They have, in the past, provided much needed service to their communities and society as a whole. Please let Congress know how important this issue is to your communities. Write or call Senators Spencer Abraham (R-MI) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Congressmen Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Mel Watt (D-NC) to urge support for a permanent extension of the Religious Worker visa provisions.

FYI: LEGISLATION

A measure to permit states to continue providing Food Stamp benefits to noncitizens was also included in the Disaster Relief Supplemental. Under the new law, states now have the option to purchase Food Stamp benefits from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and distribute them to noncitizens. This measure could greatly assist states, which have decided to continue public assistance to noncitizens, by enabling them to utilize the federal Food Stamp program rather than establishing and administering a program of their own. This provision was sponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Slade Gorton (R-WA).

The 1998 Disaster Relief Supplemental Bill had been held up for weeks because of a controversy over two provisions unrelated to benefits for noncitizens—a ban on Census Bureau sampling techniques and a provision which would have prevented a government shutdown. The inclusion of these provisions in the first Disaster Relief Supplemental caused the President to veto it last Monday. After negotiations between the Congressional Leadership and the Administration, these items were dropped from the bill, which cleared the way for the President’s signature.

Source: “Update on the Supplemental Appropriations Legislation,” Migration and Refugee Services National Office, USCC, June 13.

The stated intent of the legislation is to help eradicate religious persecution around the world. According to the bills’ sponsors, persecution of religious groups has become an issue of major importance and should be among the United States’ top human rights concerns. “The persecution of people of faith is the great untold human rights story of the decade,” said Wolf. “Religious persecution—and especially the persecution of Christians—did not dissipate with the Cold War. It has persisted and accelerated. It has gotten worse while the world and the United States have turned their efforts elsewhere.”

“There is nothing more fundamental than freedom of religion,” Sen. Specter said, “and when the facts come out as to what is happening...I believe we’ll have a lot of support for this legislation.”

Proponents of the legislation have cited Christians in China, Coptic Christians in Egypt, Tibetan Buddhists, and Iranian Baha’is as examples of persecuted groups. The legislation also states that “the militant, Islamic government of Sudan is waging a self-described religious war against Christian, non-Muslim, and moderate Muslim persons by using torture, starvation, enslavement, and murder.”

The religious persecution bills amend the asylum section of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that certain procedures be followed in cases where the INS denies or refers to an immigration judge an asylum application filed by a person who can credibly claim membership in a community subject to either category of religious persecution.

These procedures include providing, among other things, a written statement of the reasons for denial of asylum and a copy of any materials relied upon by the asylum officer as a basis for denying the application. In cases where the denial is based, in whole or in part, on credibility grounds, INS must inform the applicant of the statements or other evidence that were found not to be credible and must allow the applicant to respond to the INS’s position on the credibility issue.

Source: Excerpts from Refugee Reports, May 31, U.S. Committee for Refugees, Immigration & Refugee Services of America.

NOTE: Senator Arlen Specter’s office reports that the Senate bill would establish an “Office of Religious Persecution Monitoring” in the White House, while the House version does not include such a provision. That, and other differences will be ironed out in committee meetings to be held when Congress reconvenes in the fall.

Specifically, USCC has urged the Administration [White House, Justice Department, Immigration and Naturalization Service, National Security Council staff, and numerous members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate] to take administrative actions to:

• stop the deportation of Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, and Guatemalan nationals;

• permit them to seek permanent relief from deportation under older, more favorable rules that were in existence when they were originally placed into deportation proceedings rather than under new, recently enacted rules;

• halt asylum interviews, which most Salvadorans, Nicaraguans, and Guatemalans would most certainly lose; and

• put them on a course to regularize their status here in the United States.

Source: Excerpts from July 10 letter of Msgr. Dennis Schnurr, USCC General Secretary to U.S. Bishops.

FYI: DEMOGRAPHICS

• A total of 29,029 refugees arrived in the United States during the first two quarters of this fiscal year. This number represents forty percent of the total admissions ceiling.

• Arrivals from Former Soviet Union and Latin America are the highest of the six regions, almost forty-three percent of their regional ceilings of 30,000 and 4,000 respectively.

• If the flow of African arrivals for the first two quarters were to continue at the same pace for the rest of the fiscal year, the region is predicted to meet its 7,000 ceiling this year.

• East Asia region may even exceed its 10,000 ceiling due to ROVR (Resettlement Opportunity for Vietnamese Returnees) and the McCain numbers which were not included in this fiscal year’s projection for the region.

• An estimated 5,000 refugees are expected to be processed out of Germany; these numbers as well as those to come out of Belgrade and Zagreb will allow the Eastern European region to meet its ceiling of 18,000 or even exceed it.

• Cuban arrivals are expected to meet the 4,000 ceiling in spite of the exorbitant exit fees imposed by the Cuban government on travel-ready refugees.

Source: Migration and Refugee Services: Refugee Processing Operations Section, New York, NY. For further information, call (212) 387-8118 or (212) 387-8682.

Source: USA Today, February 28, 1997

• Population projections that will affect the 50 states and the District of Columbia during the years 1995 to 2025, include information on the estimated numbers of immigrants entering the country. California is projected to add the largest number of international migrants (more than 8 million). This gain would be more than one-third of the immigrants added to the nation’s population over the 30-year period.

  Other states projected to have gains of 1 million or more from immigration are New York, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas.

• States with the highest rates of net international migration (more than 5 people per 1,000 population) were the District of Columbia, California, New York, Hawaii, and New Jersey. The lowest rates are expected for Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas (less than 0.4 persons per 1,000 population).

Source: “Population Projections: States, 1995-2025,” Current Population Reports, May 1997, Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Fr. Wenski, a West Palm Beach native, was ordained in 1976 for the Archdiocese of Miami, where he became director of the Haitian Apostolate, and was recently appointed archdiocesan director of Catholic Charities.

Fr. Fernandez, born in Havana, was ordained a priest in 1959 for the Diocese of San Cristobal de La Habana, where he ministered until coming to the United States in 1967. After serving in several parishes in Miami, he was appointed spiritual director of St. John Vianney College Seminary in 1996.

Rev. Roque Patussi, CS, Archdiocese of Boston Brazilian Apostolate, was recently awarded the Rio Branco Medal for outstanding leadership in the Brazilian Community, an honor bestowed on Brazilians by the President of Brazil. The recipient must have demonstrated both social and spiritual leadership and an unconditional commitment to Brazilians in the community.

It was noted that Fr. Roque cooperated 100 percent with the Brazilian Consulate in trying to organize and improve the lives of Brazilians in this country. Fr. Roque’s relatives were flown in from Brazil to participate in the Mass and celebration.

Submitted by Sr. Barbara Ciccolini, SND

The Third National Conference on Refugees, sponsored by the Ethiopian Community Development Council, will be held September 10-12 in Washington, D.C. The conference will focus on two areas: exploring and seeking solutions to the root causes of refugee crises and forced migration in Africa, and responding to the new challenges of resettlement in the United States, especially with the new immigration and welfare reform legislation.

For further information, contact Dr. Handel N. Mlilo, (703) 685-0510, ext. 217.

World Day of Tourism 1997 is celebrated on September 27 with the theme “Tourism: A Leading Activity of the Twenty-First Century for Job Creation and Environmental Protection.” World Tourism Day is sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People.

Hmong/Lao Pastoral Care Coordinator: position opening for the Diocese of Green Bay—application period is extended until October 1, 1997. Contact Barbara Biebel, (920) 437-7531, ext.8247.

A Pastoral Plan for Polonia in the USA was just published by the Polish American Priests Association (P.A.P.A.). Its preface reads, “It is offered as a help to all who minister to Polonia, at whatever level, as the collective wisdom of many who wish to make that ministry more effective.” The bishops’ Committee on Migration congratulated the priests’ association on the timely document.

Donation: $10 (includes shipping & handling). Order from P.A.P.A., 5035 Bernardine Street, San Antonio, TX 78220.

The Faith in Action Grant Program, sponsored by USCC Migration and Refugee Services, provides start-up grants of $25,000 each to coalitions of religious congregations to provide volunteer care-giving services. Refugee populations who may be served under this funding are children needing immunizations, the frail elderly, and those with physical or mental health problems.

“Moral Imperatives for Addressing Structural Adjustment and Economic Reforms Measures,” by the Religious Working Group on the World Bank and the IMF, May 1997. A series of seven moral values, each section presenting a biblical/theological affirmation, to be used as a basis for dialogue about economic [or other social] reform. Distributed by Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN), P.O. Box 29378, Washington, D.C. 20017, (202) 832-3412.

“Local Cultures: Instruments of Incarnated Christian Spirituality,” by Samuel Rayan, SJ, SEDOS Bulletin, June & July 1997. A meditation on culture and its relation to spirituality.

“Asian Cultures and Evangelization,” by Msgr. Thomas Menamparampil, SDB, SEDOS Bulletin, March 1997. Every religion on the Asian continent is currently undergoing a period of revival which presents a flexible, missionary Church with the opportunity to develop its proper personality within the richness of each Asian culture.

“Asia-Pacific Migration and Emerging Civil Societies,” by Stephen Castles, and “Emigration Dynamics in Developing Countries: Case Study on South Asia,” by Reginald Appleyard, both articles in Asian Migrant, April-June 1997.

“A Spirituality of Mission in an Asian Context,” by Samuel Rayan, SJ, SEDOS Bulletin, June & July 1997. “We are listening to the murmur of three streams: spirituality, mission, and Asia. We watch their flow and their confluence, and wish to respond to their mystery as best we can.”

“Star of the Sea,” Apostolic Letter on the Apostolate of the Sea, Pope John Paul II, January 31, 1997, Catholic International, June 1997.

“Another Way of Being Church,” by Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga, LADOC, July/August 1997. The bishop of Sao Felix de Araguaia in Brazil writes of the fears within the Church today and of a new way of “Being Church.”

“Landmines: Fallout of War” - a four-page study/action guide on landmines, their destructive consequences and the response of the North American churches is part of the Facts Have Faces series and is available from the Church World Service (CWS) Office on Global Education, (410) 727-6106 or fax: (410) 727-6108.

Personnel topics include: Clergy Agreements Orientation Programs Language Study Religious Worker Visas Immigration Issues Lay Leadership Development Itinerant Chaplains

Also, presentations will be given on MRS Refugee Programs Immigration Legislation & Policy Update Migrant & Seasonal Agricultural Workers

September 24-Springfield, MA
September 30-St. Paul, MN
October 9-San Antonio, TX
October 15-Washington, DC
October 17-Atlanta, GA
December 3-Portland, OR

Registration forms are due by Friday, September 12. For further information, call (202) 541-3366.