Joint meeting of the CPAM and local clergy

The meeting at Our Lady Woman of Valor was attended by Bishop Boulos Marcuzzo, Patriarchal Vicar for Palestine, Father Hanna Kaldani, Patriarchal Vicar for Israel, Father Rafic Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew speaking Catholics in Israel and Coordinator of the Pastoral Among Migrants.

After their meeting about the pastoral work with families, during the second part of the morning, Father Rafic briefly presented the activities of the CPAM. He then handed over to Mariana from UNITAF, an Israeli NGO with which the Church collaborates in caring for migrant infants, and she guided the group on a visit through the neighborhood, most of whose residents are migrant workers and asylum seekers. Returning to the Center, the group briefly visited the adjacent Saint Joseph House and the day care center foir infants there. The program continued with a presentation of the different activities that take place in the center, facilitated by the diverse chaplaincies: Filipino, Indian, Sri Lankan and Ge’ez rite, the social and welfare activities for youth and children of migrants in the after-school programs, the sick, prisoners, women asylum seekers and infants in the day care units.

The scope of the meeting was to create a sensibility to the reality of migration and to raise consciousness among the local clergy of the reality of their brother and sister migrants and asylum seekers. This scope was realized for those who attended and the priests expressed great interest and the willingness to collaborate.

In the afternoon, the CPAM met in order to finalize the celebration of the World Day of Migrants that will be held on January 13, 2018 in Haifa.