Pope Leo asks Church to pray especially for migrant and refugee children; archbishop invites faithful to Oct. 4 Mass in Detroit
DETROIT — Every year during National Migration Week, Catholics are called to reflect on the challenges faced by migrants and refugees and express solidarity through prayer, action and advocacy. This year, Pope Leo XIV has asked that the Church especially focus its attention and prayer on migrant and refugee children.
National Migration Week takes place this year from Sept. 21-27, culminating in the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sept. 27. This year's theme, chosen by Pope Leo, is drawn from Matthew 18:5: "Even just one of these children."
In a message released Sept. 21, Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger reflected upon this year's theme and called Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit to do the same.
“Our Holy Father has given us a particularly poignant theme, drawn from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus instructs us that [...] ‘Whoever welcomes even just one of these children, in my name, welcomes me,’ Archbishop Weisenburger wrote.
“The theme of this year’s observance in particular calls us to look beyond policy and politics and see the child and her family standing before us,” Archbishop Weisenburger continued. “Today, I pray especially for migrant and refugee children, who carry fears and burdens that no child should have to bear. May we always welcome them, protect them, and walk alongside their families with compassion.”
Archbishop Weisenburger, who served as bishop of Tucson, Arizona, from 2017 to 2025, said he witnessed the hopes and struggles of migrant families seeking safety and a better life while serving in the border diocese. Now, he sees a similar story taking place in southeast Michigan, “where generations of immigrants built our communities and imbued them with their faith, diverse cultures, and gifts.”
“These encounters have reminded me again and again that behind every debate about immigration, there are real people, each one created in the image and likeness of God,” Archbishop Weisenburger wrote.
In his statement, Archbishop Weisenburger invited the faithful throughout southeast Michigan to join him on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2:30 p.m., during a special Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit hosted by Strangers No Longer, a local advocacy organization that supports ministry efforts to migrants and refugees in Michigan.
“(This) will be an opportunity for us to pray together, to encounter one another across cultures and backgrounds, and to remember that when we welcome the stranger, we welcome Christ,” Archbishop Weisenburger wrote. “May the Lord give us hearts willing to accompany the vulnerable, as well as the courage to welcome Christ whenever He comes to us in the stranger at our door.”
Third Annual Mass Celebrating Migrants and Refugees
Strangers No Longer will host its Third Annual Mass Celebrating Migrants and Refugees at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. All are welcome.
A procession and litany remembering those who have suffered during detentions and family separations will take place preceding Mass at 1:45 p.m. The Mass will then begin with a procession led by the choir of the Ugandan Catholic Community of Michigan, and will also include choirs from the St. Gabriel Girls' Marimba Ensemble, the Ste. Anne Choir and the Sacred Hart Choral Ensemble. Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger will celebrate the Mass and preach.
After Mass, participants are invited to attend a multicultural celebration in the cathedral's plaza, featuring food and music from many different cultures.
