World Day of Migrants and Refugees | 2026
Pray, advocate, and educate with us.
How Can You Commemorate World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2026?
Each year, World Day of Migrants and Refugees invites us to stand in solidarity with people who have been forced to leave their homes. Whether through prayer, advocacy, or learning, there are many ways to mark the day and put that solidarity into action. Explore the opportunities below to take part.
Mass to Commemorate the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees
Join JRS/USA and the Archdiocese of Washington in solidarity and prayer for migrants and refugees, listening to and honoring their stories and experiences.
Details:
- Where: Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle,Washington, DC
- When: Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Rosary Prayer: 4:35 p.m. ET
- Mass: 5:30 p.m. ET
Take the Solito Big Read Challenge
This National Migration Week, take the Solito Big Read Challenge and invite your parish, school, book club, or community to read Javier Zamora’s Solito together. Through the story of a child making the journey to reunite with his family, Solito offers an opportunity to encounter migration through one person’s lived experience and reflect on our call to welcome and accompany people on the move.
Download our discussion guide to gather your community, reflect on the book through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, and explore questions and actions that can turn reading into deeper understanding, solidarity, and engagement.
ACTION ALERT: Urge Senators to Protect Temporary Protected Status
TPS has been a lifeline to many who cannot safely return to their countries. But a recent Supreme Court decision allows termination of TPS designations for multiple countries without real consideration of whether conditions are safe. TPS designations for Afghanistan, Burma/ Myanmar, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Venezuela, & Yemen have all been terminated, and the future of El Salvador’s designation is uncertain at best. Those who have relied on TPS protections should be treated with dignity, care for their safety, and respect for the lives they have built here.
TPS was also terminated on July 27 for nearly 350,000 Haitians, even though conditions in Haiti remain dire. In this case, the House has already passed legislation that would extend TPS until 2029. But the Senate must also act.
Urge your senator to pass the bill already passed by the House.
Educator Resource Guide
Bring the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees into your classroom. Equip your students to understand today’s displacement crisis with classroom-ready resources that spark empathy, critical thinking, and action.
Novena for Refugees
We invite you to join JRS/USA in prayer for refugees and all people who have been forced to flee their homes. Pray along with our nine-day Novena for Refugees, guided by Scripture and reflections from the Holy Father.
Why World Day of Migrants and Refugees Matters
This World Refugee Day comes at a critical moment for people forced to flee. More than 117 million people remain forcibly displaced worldwide as conflicts continue, humanitarian resources are stretched, and access to asylum and protection is increasingly under pressure.
This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a cornerstone of international refugee protection built on a fundamental promise: people fleeing persecution and conflict have the right to seek safety.
World Refugee Day is an opportunity to renew that commitment. It calls us to stand with refugees, listen to their voices, and work toward a world where people forced to flee can find safety, welcome, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
