On May 13, 2020 Pope Francis issued his document proclaiming the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) with its theme “Like Jesus Christ, Forced to Flee. Welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating internally displaced persons”.

You can read the entire statement from the Pope here: Forced to Flee

Migrants & Refugees Section is a small action-oriented Vatican office personally directed by Pope Francis to ensure that those forced to flee are not shut out or left behind. There are many resources, videos, posters, and documents which expand on this theme. One such document is entitled “Pastoral Orientations on Internally Displaced Persons“.

The Pope discusses this theme in a video “To Know in order to Understand“.

All resources can be downloaded at this site: WDMY 2020

Carving Out New Land of Dreams

Catholic Register – June 7, 2020. Quinton Amundson.

The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) launched the Land of Dreams garden in 2019. This 30 acre urban farm has provided many newcomers with an opportunity to connect with the land produce fresh food like beets, carrots, kale and spinach and feel empowered to do something good for others.

The article mentions Kamo Zandimen who came to Canada in 2017 along with 287 other Yazidis from Iraq. She says she feels better emotionally, physically and mentally now that she is working on the land. She recalls the devastation on her people in 2014 when ISIL invaded her homeland. One report states that between 2,000 and 5,000 Yazidis were killed. Many Yazidis fled to a nearby mountain. Kamo and her family were among those captured. She was eventually freed after two years. She and her family came to Canada in 2017 welcomed by the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS).

The CCIS offers many services to new comers such as accommodations, counselling, employment workshops and help for children entering school. It has been reported that about 100m people have been farming on this land. Rod Olsen oversees the Land of Dreams and he says he hopes newcomer families could become ecological leaders. Those who farm are from 16 different countries.

Rod sums it up when he says, “They become leaders to teach the rest of us Canadians that this is what the land needs right now.”

Please read the entire article here: New Land of Dreams