Building a Culture of Welcome
Resources for Parishes and Dioceses
Building a Culture of Welcome: Resources for Parishes and Dioceses
Catholic communities across the U.S. are feeling called to accompany, serve, and advocate for migrants and refugees. This page offers practical tools and inspiration for parishes and dioceses to integrate migration awareness into liturgy, education, and community life—grounded in Catholic social teaching and the Gospel call to welcome the stranger.
Why This Matters
Migration is one of the defining moral issues of our time. Millions are displaced due to conflict, persecution, and climate change. Here in the United States, the bishops issued a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the country. It marked the first time 12 years the USCCB invoked this particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops. As Catholics, we want to respond with compassion and justice—affirming the dignity of every person and building communities of solidarity.
What You’ll Find in the Toolkit
Our Catholic Action Toolkit: Welcoming Migrants & Refugees provides:
- Liturgy & Prayer Resources
Advent reflections, Stations of the Cross, Rosary for Migrants, and seasonal prayer guides.
- Education & Awareness
Catholic social teaching resources, youth lesson plans, films, and discussion guides.
- Advocacy Tools
Action alerts, talking points, and guides for organizing public witness events.
- Community Engagement
Simulation exercises, accompaniment networks, fundraising ideas, and parish activities.
Looking for Diocesan-Level Impact?
Want to make tangible Pope Francis’ verbs—welcome, protect, promote, and integrate—in your diocese?
Reach out to us! We would love to help you with diocesan initiatives inspired by these materials. Together, we can create a coordinated approach that brings parishes, schools, and ministries together.
Read what others are doing
Archdiocese of Washington
On September 28, we co-organized a prayerful public procession in support of migrants that drew nearly 1,000 people from D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia. We can work with you to co-sponsor a similar event.
Virtual Vigil
On December 10, we worked with a collection of organizations to co-host a virtual prayer vigil led by Bishop Cahill, Chair of the USCCB Migration Committee from the Diocese of Victoria, Tex., and Bishop Michael Pham of San Diego. We have materials, including for publicity,ready to be adapted for others’ use.
One Church, One Family Campaign
With 17 other Catholic organizations, JRS helped organize this campaign, which resulted in 160 public witness events nationwide over two days. Four dioceses organized major actions.
Advocacy Day
Invite your diocese to join advocacy efforts. We organize Advocacy Day every spring. Your parishes can participate virtually or in person.
Registration for the 2026 JRS/USA Advocacy Day is now open. Learn more and register here.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes/Journey into Exile
Let us bring a live or virtual refugee simulation experience to your youth ministry or other diocesan gathering as we have done for years at Catholic school events, or the annual Ignatian Family Teach-In conference.
We have two options, appropriate for adults and teens, that bring to life the realities and difficult decision points that refugees and asylum-seekers face every day around the world.
Now it’s your turn.
Download the Toolkit Today
Equip your parish or diocese with practical steps to accompany migrants and refugees.
Let’s work together to build a Church of open arms.
Contact us at outreach@jrsusa.org to start planning.
