"This shelter has saved my life" one migrant said. Oblate JPIC Director Visit a Shelter for Migrants in Saltillo, Mexico

Recently, Oblate JPIC Director Fr. Ponce Antonio OMI traveled to the city of Salitllo, Mexico, to meet with the director of a shelter for migrants, Alberto Xicotecatl Carrasco and his staff.

The purpose of the visit was to discuss about upcoming workshop on migration between the Oblates from the Mexican Province, in collaboration with the Oblate JPIC Office in Washington D.C

This workshop is going to take place at the end of January in the town of Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico.

In the shelter, “Refugio para Migrantes Belen”, I had the opportunity not only to meet the staff and some of the volunteers but also many migrants who were staying during  my visit. “This shelter has saved my life”, said one migrant I met there. 

This is place is been a refuge for hundreds of migrants for many years now”, said to me Fr. Pedro Pantoja, the spiritual director of the shelter. “Here we help our brothers and sister by providing them with humanitarian aid, medical services, legal services etc”., added Fr. Pedro.   

For more information about “Refugio para Migrantes Belen”, please visithttp://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1101357.htm

We are One Family Under God: National Migration Week 2015 - January 4 to 10

United States Catholic National Migration Week 2015 will take place January 4–10 under the theme; “We are One Family Under God.” 
The theme brings to mind the importance of family in our daily lives. 

This reminder is particularly important when dealing with the migration phenomenon, as family members are too often separated from one another.

National Migration Week provides an opportunity to raise awareness in our Oblate communities, missions, institutions and parishes about the hardships faced by migrants, including children, refugees and victims of human trafficking.

“Migrants –including children, immigrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking– are our spiritual brothers and sisters,” said Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. “They often find themselves isolated, alone and separated from family, their ability to live out their lives in fullness severely restricted. Often family members are separated from one another because of deportation, detention, or related immigration laws that inhibit family reunification.

Resources for National Migration Week 2015http://www.usccb.org/about/migration-and-refugee-services/national-migration-week/index.cfm 

Executive Action: Keeping Migrant Families Together

Missionary Oblates JPIC join with other religious communities in celebrating President Obama historic action to provide deportation relief to an estimated 5 million of our undocumented immigrant brothers and sisters.

We applaud the President's executive decision to keep families together and thankful for his leadership in providing relief from the threat of deportation. Millions of people’s lives have been changed because of the brave organizing efforts of immigrants, people of faith and other allies.

People of faith stand with the President in celebrating this bold initiative, but we also re-commit to working alongside so many undocumented individuals who are still left out of this plan. A permanent solution awaits Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform.

National Call in Days to Protect Immigrant Families from deportation Nov. 5 -13

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Justice for Immigrants campaign will sponsor a week of call-in days to the White House. 

Starting on November 5 to November 13, the feast of St. Frances of Cabrini, the patroness of immigrants, U.S. Catholic Bishops initiative is urging protection for families facing deportation.

The call-in days comes as the Obama Administration pledged to take action on immigration after the November 2014 mid term elections.

Everyone is encouraged to call the White House every day during the call-in period and convey this message.  

Call the White House at 1-855-589-5698 and leave the message: "Protect as many immigrants and their families as possible from deportation."

More information at  www.justiceforimmigrants.org  

Oblates in Cameroon: Keeping Faith in the Midst of Insecurity.

Originally Published on www.omiworld.org

Northern Cameroon near Nigeria is also a victim of the abuses of the Islamist Boko Haram. This past September, Oblate Ferdinand Owono Ndih, head of the Yves Tabar pre-novitiate in Mokolo shares on the experience of living in this situation. Missionary Oblates join in thought and prayers with our brothers and sisters. Missionary Oblates have significant OMI presence in Cameroon. 

I had to quickly get to Mokolo where the situation is not at all happy because of the Islamic Boko Haram sect. It is spreading terror, and life is becoming unbearable.

Tomorrow we will bury a catechist who was beheaded on Sunday as he walked home after presiding over prayer in his community in the absence of a priest. That same Sunday, the chapel at Ldoubam (a few kilometers from the border near Mokolo) was burned and a village destroyed by a hundred individuals armed “to the teeth”. They opened fire on a population that was taking its Sunday walk in peace. In the disturbance, a policeman and a young teacher fresh out of Normal School in Maroua were beheaded. It’s horrible what we are experiencing in this part of the national triangle.

Thank God, we have an army (BIR: Rapid Intervention Battalion) that gives the best of itself and achieves significant victories, but given the extent of the border, it cannot be everywhere. In short, the situation is sad and the cost of living is undergoing a significant surge.

Here at the pre-novitiate, we will have 16 young men; 10 are already here, but 6 from Nigeria are not here yet because Cameroon has closed its border in the north because of the BH sect and in the south because of the Ebola disease. What’s to be done, I do not know. Currently we have started a program with those who are here until things become clearer. 

(OMI France, October 2014)

Hope for Africa in the Age of Ebola: A Theological Reflection

By Tembo Michael OMI

---Scholastic Tembo Michael offers a theological reflection in the age of Ebola. Michael is  a graduate student of Theology in San Antonio Texas.

Let us continue to pray for strength and healing for those who are living with Ebola. We pray for courage and support to the medical team taking care of the patients. 

In these hard-pressed economic times, nourishing life has now become a business. You cannot afford not to be strategic. We are intentionally distancing ourselves. We are not our brothers and sisters’ keeper anymore. This was the story of humanity. This is the story of humanity. This will be the story of humanity. Each person seems to be preserving their own and neglecting others?We or the future generations will be victims and beneficiaries of our actions.

Every time one turns on the TV or listens to the Radio, the talk is about Ebola? We cannot for sure avoid talking about this current pandemic. It is affecting everyone. I suppose the whole of Africa will be under some travel restrictions and precautions. 

Recently, I found a person complaining. I asked what is wrong, the person said, “I came for my physical therapy and I was asked if I am African. I answered yes. So your country Africa is sick with Ebola." This person was told.  But Africa is not a country! Where Is Africa? Is Africa Dead? No! Africa Is still Alive and God is still in our midst!

Furthermore, I had to answer some couple questions. I am wondering now, Is Ebola is in the whole Continent of Africa or West Africa? I am so sad that some people think Africa is a country. This can be the story of this person, but it is the story of everyone. Going to the hospital, the first question you might be asked for medical precautions seek is: “When was the last you visited Africa?” “Have you traveled to African in the past 21 days? Are you from Africa?

Looking at what is happening on the African continent; one wonders what has gone wrong. Africa is one of the richest continent and how can we accept being dead. With men and women of goodwill, we need to reclaim our place. We need to re-evangelize ourselves. We need “the African who believes in God the Creator, … the African who believes as the beloved one of God, the African who believes not in being the second class citizen – my emphasis,  the African who believe the through him or her  God saves the African … from oppression and slavery of Ebola” (Ecclesia in Africa, no. 57).  

“The situation is at a point where it’s hopeless and people are giving up. But the role of the Church is to give hope to the people, and we try to enhance that hope,” says a Catholic Priest in West Africa  “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. We are sad for those who died. So my message is that we are a symbol of hope for our people and will continue to give them hope.”

We implore our Leaders to see life in Africa. “Africa is not destined for death, but for life” (Ecclesia in Africa, no. 57). Africans are not dead. Africa is not a country. Africans have the responsibility together with their leaders to define reality.  We all need to be servants so as to bring an end to this Ebola pandemic. We cannot only be on the receiving end. 

Africa is still alive. It is the duty of Africa to rebrand itself and remove any bad any bad perceptions. It is my hope that more investments go to health sectors in Africa to deal with future Ebola and other types of outbreaks.

Oblates in Philippines:Immersion in the lives and struggles of the poor

Originally Published on Philippines Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate website

The Oblates of the Philippine Province minister to the Manobo-Dulangan tribe who dwell far beyond Sen. Ninoy Aquino municipality. Fr. Renan Aban, OMI is assigned as Indigenous Peoples Ministry Coordinator since 2009. The mission continues to provide scholarships from elementary to college through the Oblate Missionary Fund.  This school year, 60 children will be provided with dormitory privileges of free food and lodging aside from their educational scholarship.

Aside from the educational program, the Oblate missionary thrust centers on the Monobo-Dulangan tribal justice and self-governance. It ensures the retention of the tribe’s cultural heritage yet open to the enrichment of other cultures.

Read the entire work of Oblates in Philippines:

Immersion in the lives and struggles of the poor,particularly the Manobo-Dulangan tribe is a vivid reality and mission call forthe Oblates.