Migration and Refugee Services Resources

Migrant Farmworker Ministry

  • Celebrando la Presencia de Jesucristo
    Un manual de reflexión para trabajadores migrantes adultos sobre la vida sacramental
    Celebrating the Presence of Christ Jesus
    Bilingual reflection manual on the sacraments for adult migrant farm workers.
  • Oraciones del Peregrino (Prayers of the Migrant)
    Bilingual Spanish/English prayerbook. $0.50
    Order Form

    Oracion del Peregrino (Prayer of the Migrant)
    Four language color-coded prayerbook in Spanish, English, Creole and Q'anjob'al (Maya). $1.00
    Order Form

    Un Pueblo Que Camina
    Bilingual first communion manual for catechists working with migrant children. $10.00
    Order Form

    Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network
    Brochure about bringing a pastoral presence to the lives of migrant and seasonal farm workers.
    Order Form

     

Parish & Community Support for Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees

Traveling Companions Parish Refugee Resettlement Ministry Video
The needs of migrants and refugees throughout the world have always been great. For over two hundred years, the Catholic Church in the United States has worked to meet those needs – helping to resettle refugees, advocating on behalf of immigrants and people on the move, and providing pastoral care to newcomers from all over the world. This video shows the plight of refugees who have been forced to leave their homes, often never to return, and the volunteers who are acting on the Gospel mandate to welcome the stranger in our midst.
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Welcoming the Stranger Among Us Kit; Unity in Diversity
The vast array of resources in this kit have been designed to offer practical guidance for building more welcoming and inclusive parishes. Kit contains copies of published documents and related resources (several of which can be photocopied and distributed to small groups and in other community settings).
Publication No. 5-407
To order, call 800-235-8722

These notecards featuring unique artwork on the theme of unity in diversity are ideal for staff's use as thank you notes or as gifts to volunteers, donors, or other individuals. Notecards come in sets of eight cards with envelopes.
Available from MRS at $2.00/set

Handbook for Generating Media Publicity
A "How-To" handbook for developing relationships and working with the media. Addressed are very specific steps to take from writing a press release and giving media interviews to using radio and television to promote your program as well as points on how to deliver a successful speech.
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Connections: An Invitation to Serve Newly Arriving Immigrants and Refugees
A brochure describing the situation of newly arriving refugees in the United States and the valuable assistance that volunteers can provide.
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The Welcoming Parish: Developing and Sustaining Parish Support
A "How-To" Manual—A practical training guide to help diocesan resettlement staff increase parish involvement. The accompanying parish kit contains resources for use with parishes.
Order Form

We Are Called to Practice What We Teach
Designed for dissemination to Catholic parish leadership, this brochure describes Church teaching as it relates to helping refugees and the ways that parishes can become involved.
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People Helping People: Enhancing the Welcome
A "How-To" guide and materials for developing and managing a volunteer program.
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Communities of Salt and Light
The bishops communicate a critical message for all parishes: We cannot be called truly Catholic unless we hear and heed the Church's call to serve those in need and work for justice and peace . . . Effective social ministry . . . is an essential part of parish life.
Publication No. 701-4
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
Outlines seven basic ideas from Catholic Social Teaching—When working with parishes, helping leaders to understand the seven themes is essential to providing the motivation and the rationale for our efforts to welcome the stranger.
Publication No. 5-281
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Called to Global Solidarity
Resource manual designed for parishes and other organizations that seek to live out the Holy Father's call to solidarity with our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
Publication No. 5-118
To order, call 800-235-8722.

 

Education on Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees

Who Are My Sisters and Brothers? Reflections for Understanding and Welcoming Immigrants and Refugees
A companion piece to the manual, geared for personal and group discussion and reflection with the goal of better understanding and welcoming those from other nations.
Publication No. 5-057
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Who Are My Sisters and Brothers? Understanding and Welcoming Immigrants and Refugees Video
An up-close and personal look at some of the human faces behind the immigration debate in our nation.
Publication No. 5-053
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith
In this pastoral statement, the U.S. bishops present a portrait of the Asian and Pacific American communities and reflect on the pastoral needs and concerns of this rapidly growing population. The statement offers national, diocesan, and parish-level leaders seven strategies to more fully support the continued growth and maturing of the Asian and Pacific communities.
Publication No. 5-449
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Everyday Christianity: To Hunger and Thirst for Justice
A pastoral reflection on lay discipleship for justice in a new millennium.
Publication No. 5-116
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Called to Faithful Citizenship
In addition to communicating the basic message about the importance of participation in the development of public policy, this brochure provides a very brief list of key issues of justice and peace that the Church addresses, including many affecting newcomers.
Publication No. 5-360
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Tenth Anniversary Edition of "Economic Justice For All"
A Catholic framework for economic life; statement and summary.
Publication No. 5-135
To order, call 800-235-8722.

National Migration Week Resource Materials
Liturgical, educational, and programmatic materials to assist parishes, schools, colleges, and universities in this annual observance sponsored by the USCCB.
Kit:
$4.00;
Prayer Cards:
50 $3.00;
Bulletin Inserts:
$3.00;
Poster:
$2.00;
Resource Book:
$3.00
Order Form


Advocacy

White Papers
Packet includes papers on:

  • Legalization of Undocumented Immigrants
  • Fairness for Families—Due Process
  • H-2A Agricultural Workers
  • Mandatory Detention
  • Refugee Resettlement
  • Restoration of Section 245(i)
  • U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement
  • Non-Minister Religious Worker Visa Program

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Children on the Move: The Plight of Immigrant and Refugee Children
Highlights the Church's interest in matters relating to certain groups of children on the move, including migrant, refugee, unaccompanied, trafficked, and internally displaced children.
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Report on Catholic Use of U.S. Religious Worker Visa Program
Findings of a detailed survey administered by the USCCB Committee on Migration.
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A Raids Resource Guide
Binder—How to respond to raids of undocumented workers, the Catholic community's response to INS raids, and resource listings.
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Immigration Policy for the 21st Century
Describes the ways in which a legalization program for undocumented immigrants would benefit the U.S. economy, working conditions, national security, family unity, and the stability of immigrants’ home countries.
Order Form


General Information

Unity in Diversity Notecards
These notecards featuring unique artwork on the theme of unity in diversity are ideal for staff's use as thank you notes or as gifts to volunteers, donors, or other individuals. Notecards come in sets of eight cards with envelopes.
Available from MRS at $2.00/set

MRS Annual Report
Highlights USCCB/MRS' work over the past year.
Order Form

 

Pastoral Care of Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees

Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity
This new pastoral statement from the U.S. Catholic bishops is intended to help us as a church community in welcoming all of God's diverse children into the life of the Church, particularly those who are new to this land.
Publication No. 5-375
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Called to Welcome the Stranger Among Us
User-friendly brochure highlights the themes of the U.S. Bishops' pastoral statement of the same name. It is designed for widespread distribution and offers suggested ways that individuals can begin to implement the vision of the pastoral statement. Include them in bulletins, distribute them at parish events, or use as small-group discussion starters.
Publication No. 5-404;
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Welcoming the Stranger: A Prayer for Hospitality
Prayer cards to promote the idea of community in your parish. Band of 50 cards.
Publication No. 5-460
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Many Faces in God's House
A parish guide to help implement multicultural ministry.
Publication No. 5-421
To order, call 800-235-8722.

Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers
Resource for dioceses that want to develop an orientation program for priests, seminarians, deacons, and religious women and men from other countries.
Order Form

Building Bridges: Crossing Cultural Boundaries
Profiles of diocesan Ministries of Hospitality. A resource to assist dioceses in reflecting on their response to newcomers. Offers models of ethnic, migrant and mobility ministry structures, job descriptions, and diocesan pastoral plans.
Order Form

Cultural Expressions of Our Faith
Offers theological underpinnings for the process of inculturation taking place within the Church.
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A Prayer for Refugees
Prayer cards depicting the Holy Family and their flight into Egypt.
$20/100 cards, charge for quantities exceeding 300.
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Today’s Immigrants and Refugees: A Christian Understanding
A collection of papers by experts in the field on the theology of immigration, drawing upon Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching to state the case for acceptance and welcome of newcomers in our midst.
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All Come Bearing Gifts
Proceedings from the National Migration Conference 2003 held in Washington, DC on July 6-10, 2003 and attended by close to 1,000 participants in the largest-ever gathering of its kind. This collection of presentations by the expert speakers and panelists emphasizes the many contributions that immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move make to American society and the Church and how we as a nation are enriched by their presence.
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