Migrants and Immigrants Gathering in Taiwan

On September 21, 2025, Hsinzhu Diocese hosted the First National Gathering of Migrants and Immigrants in Taiwan with the theme: "Journeying in Hope with love, gratitude and joy." Most Rev. John Lee, the Bishop of Hsinchu and President of the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan pursued this big event to take place in oneness with the late Pope Francis invitation to be "Pilgrims of Hope". Migrants and immigrants are considered to be at the "heart of the Church" because of their integral role in the faith community, their historical significance in spreading Christianity, and the current emphasis on compassionate outreach, which calls for churches to act as safe haven, promote integration, and offer support.

The Eucharistic Celebration, presided by Bishop John Lee, was done in English alternated with songs and responses in different languages. There were a total of 12 Bishops and 84 priests concelebrant from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan. A representative from the Vatican City, Rev. Msgr. Erwin Jose Aserios Balagapo, Undersecretary of the Dicastery of Evangelization, extended the greetings and blessings of Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Dicastery for Evangelization to all migrants.

 Msgr. Erwin reiterated in his homily the four important verbs or actions mentioned by the late Pope Francis in his 2018 message to migrants, an assurance of the church's unwavering care and attention to migrants workers and immigrants, namely: to WELCOME is to open our hearts and homes, making the stranger feel like a brother or sister, to PROTECT is to defend the God-given dignity of every migrant ensuring that no one is exploited or forgotten, to PROMOTE is to foster human development so that each person’s gifts may enrich the common good, to INTEGRATE is to weave together differences into a shared community, not by erasing identities but by creating communion in diversity. These verbs or actions are already lived in Taiwan.

For the Pastorelle Sisters, given the privilege to be with the migrants and immigrants in Taiwan is indeed a grace from God. Being one with other religious congregations and organization in providing support and services to the large migrant workers population in Taiwan, we accompany them to develop sense of community and belonging, and we help them cope with the challenges of living and working away from home. As missionaries we aim to help integrate migrants into Taiwanese society providing support for their development as they “Journey together in Hope - Christ.” The Catholic Church views migrants as “persons who bear the living face of Christ,” and sees Christian migrants themselves as “authentic missionaries of the Gospel”.

Sr Cecilia F. Santiago, sjbp