We Are Called to Welcome a Stranger
Columban missionaries serve migrants and refugees in a dozen countries throughout Asia Pacific and the Americas, as well as on the U.S. – Mexico border. Keeping in mind the Gospel mandate and our Catholic Social Teaching, we strive to “welcome the stranger” and to protect and promote the rights of migrants and refugees everywhere.
Columban missionaries have been working within communities along the United States/Mexico border for more than 25 years.
Every day we see how border communities are models of hospitality and creative cross-cultural encounters. We’re friends with the families that call this place home, and who cherish their binational heritage.
We also see how inhumane immigration enforcement and extreme militarization sow fear and distrust in our communities. And for those who do not live here, conflicting media reports and demonizing rhetoric may be their only source of information about this beautiful place.
At the border, every day is an opportunity to put into practice St. Columban's famous teaching: “Let a life unlike your own be your teacher.”