The following is a reflection offered by Deborah Dorner of the St. Joe’s Refugee Outreach Committee on October 4-5, 2025.

St. Joe’s Refugee Outreach Committee, the ROC, was formed 35 years ago in response to a call from the government for the people of Canada to be personally involved in welcoming newcomers.  The story of the ROC is told in a book – Ordinary People, Extraordinary Actions. Today, on this 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, I will talk about the Committee’s current actions and the Pope’s message, as we reflect on today’s readings.  

Cries of despair, of being forgotten, of wrongdoing, destruction, violence, strife and contention begin the First Reading.  This sounds like the regular nightly news.  It is reality for many people; it is overwhelming to see and hear.  I turn off the news to take the vision away. 

The prophet Habakkuk is told to Write the vision, make it plain on tablets  

Many people do this. Long banners listing the names of children who never returned from Residential Schools are strikingly similar to the list of 18 500 – and counting-  Palestinian children who have died from bombardments, malnutrition and starvation. Huge banners on Parliament Hill make the truth plain.  I feel so powerless, I turn away. There is nothing that I can do to change things. 

The psalmist says “Do not Harden your heart.  Listen to God’s voice…” 

And encouragement comes from Paul in the 2nd Reading:  “We have been given not cowardice, but a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline…   in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 

..In the faith….In the faith…How much faith does it take to have the courage and ability to change injustice to justice, to welcome a stranger?   

How much faith do we need   is the question of the Gospel. 

The context is important: Jesus had just instructed his apostles to forgive – over and over again, seven times in a day…an infinite number of times. They must have felt this to be a very difficult directive. “Increase our faith” they said. 

Jesus’ responded,  

“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’ and it would obey you.” 

What a strange, impossible, fruitless task.  But what the apostles- and we- are actually asked to do, is not impossible, nor fruitless. 

The work of a servant may be mundane and tiring, Jesus points out, but they do their job without expectation of a “thank you” because doing it is simply what they ought to do. 

Jesus reminds the apostles- and us-that as servants of God, any amount of faith is sufficient to follow the job description:  

Feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, care for the vulnerable. ..Forgive, be peacemakers. Love your enemies…. Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

This is not a job description only for Saints with extraordinary amounts of faith. This is simply the role of being an ordinary follower of Jesus, and even a grain of faith will do. 

The ROC does ordinary stuff. We welcome and support newcomers, with love and courage based on a mustard seed of faith. 

A tiny mustard seed grows into a surprisingly large plant.  

In 2015 a seed was planted. A small boy’s lifeless body on a beach made the news. He had been with his family on their way to Canada. Although heart wrenching to see, people did not turn away. 

The seed germinated: Two couples in this parish approached the ROC. Conversations turned to action. Three couples provided the money for a Sponsorship and the ROC agreed to do the Settlement tasks.  

The plant established itself. In March of 2017 a family of 5 arrived. 

 They thrived. With parish support – your support- of donations of money, time and talent, other members of that family arrived from Jordan’s refugee camp. This picture, taken in January, shows the family welcoming the newest arrivals. They number 25 now. Sponsorships are in progress to welcome more in the coming years.  

The ROC July picnic  included a number of other people supported by us as well- people who arrived with hope in their heart for a better life – or simply with the hope in their heart to stay alive. 

 The Pope’s Message for today is about hope. 

Pope Leo wrote: “In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. .. hope responds to the aspiration to happiness.. (which is )..in the heart of every person.” 

A word about Reciprocity – Giving and Receiving goes both ways. 

When we feel hopeless, watching the news, or otherwise, migrants and refugees bring hope. Their actions, their search for something better, is hope.  

To those migrants and refugees here today, thank you for the hope you bring. 

A note about Migrants and the Media 

35 years ago, hope, excitement, goodwill and a warm welcome permeated our country as the Sponsorship program launched.   When newcomers settled in, their gifts shone and strengthened the mosaic of Canada. Of late, there is negative talk about newcomers and the immigration process. People beyond our borders, and some within, would have us believe that newcomers are dangerous, and are the reason for social problems, that Reducing or Eliminating Immigration would solve those problems. Media highlights errors, but rarely does it recount the stories of the vast majority who come with hope, skills and eagerness to contribute to society. Let us not forget who is building our houses, harvesting our food, staffing our hospitals and clinics, caring for the aged, and hiring the unemployed to staff new businesses. 

It is time to make this new vision clear so that all can appreciate the hope and benefits brought by our newcomers. 

Each year on this Day of Migrants and Refugees, the parish collects money for the ROC’s work. Envelopes are available and can be placed in the collection basket. Donations can also be made on line.  

In the early days of the ROC, the committee was active in advocating, even making presentations to parliamentary committees. To return to this educational and advocacy role, we recently rejoined the Canadian Council of Refugees, the CCF, which includes over 200 likeminded groups across Canada who advocate for and support refugees  

After Mass tomorrow/ today, Ms Gauri Sreenivasan, CCR’s Co-Executive Director, will be downstairs in the hall to talk about the CCR’s work.  Before the presentation, the Supper Table will provide a light lunch. We are grateful to those who preregistered for the lunch – but if you didn’t; don’t let that deter you from joining us. I have faith – about the size of a mustard seed – in the loaves and fishes story too.  

Deborah Dorner / St. Joe’s Refugee Outreach Committee