Migration Mass celebrates universal ‘Church without borders’

By Priscilla Greear - Florida Catholic

Photography: Marlene Quaroni

MIAMI | On the feast of the Epiphany at St. Mary Cathedral, Catholics from across the globe sang “Joy to the World” at the Migration Mass to honor the kaleidoscope of ethnic and national ministries within the Archdiocese of Miami, from Polish and Indian to Chinese and Brazilian. Archbishop Thomas Wenski proclaimed Christ’s gift of salvation for every race, ethnicity, and nation, and Christ’s call to unity in diversity and love of the stranger—a faith witness to fellow Americans amidst heightened polarization.

Over 850 participants from all ends of the archdiocese overflowed St. Mary Cathedral in Miami Jan. 5, 2025, for the joyful Mass in English, Spanish and Creole. Other countries represented included Brazil, the Philippines, Haiti, Hungary, Poland, South Korea and Vietnam. Indian and Haitian Catholics processed with offerings to open the liturgy as the congregation sang “We Three Kings.” Readings were proclaimed in Burmese, Polish and Portuguese, and intercessory prayers were in multiple languages. Many sported clothing representing their homelands, from Brazilian yellow and green attire and elegant saris to Polish white and red ruffled folk dresses. The archdiocese includes Brazilian, Burmese, Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, Haitian, Indian, Italian, Korean, Nigerian, Polish, and Vietnamese apostolates, and Mass is celebrated in more than a dozen languages.

St. Mary Cathedral’s member and Eucharistic minister Simon Okonor, originally from Nigeria, looks forward to the annual international Mass. “I grew up being a Catholic. I’m here almost every Sunday. It means a lot to me being a Catholic and around different people from different cultures for the same purpose, just to serve the Lord,” said Okonor. “To see people from all over the world, different places, to converge in one place today is a blessing. That’s what Catholicism is all about, universality. It’s for everybody.”

In his homily, the archbishop affirmed Christ’s call to spread the Gospel to all nations. “Here we see a beautiful, magnificent expression of the Church universal,” he said. “God is to be praised and worshipped in all the languages of mankind.”

He challenged the indifference of some toward vulnerable migrants—many of whom come from the same countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti. “Do we extend a hand of welcome or, like those who refused the Holy Family a place in the inn, do we exhibit indifference, or perhaps even hostility? To the world, and to those in our communities who are frightened by the diversity of languages and cultures that surround them, or are infected by the sin of racism, or misled by a xenophobic nationalism, we Catholics must give a witness of what a reconciled and reconciling world could look like.”

Archbishop Wenski also said that Epiphany calls the faithful to refresh their Christian perspective to see others as God sees them, just as Christ gave the Magi gifts of enlightenment. “We must see Christ in the migrant-for Christ himself was perhaps the primordial migrant: For the Son of God migrated from heaven to live among us,” he said.  “When (the Magi) returned home, they returned by a different way. The light of Christ, like the star that guided the Magi, also shows us a ‘different way.’”

Twenty-two staffers from Catholic Legal Services (CLS) lined the two front pews, and CEO Randy McGrorty and COO Myrian Mezadieu brought forth the bread and wine. CLS serves immigrants who cannot afford legal representation. “This is a spiritual reflection of what we do day-to-day,” said McGrorty. “We as Catholics have to recognize our fellow parishioners, co-religionists and fellow human beings. And our church is a church without borders.”

With swirling talk of mass deportations and immigration restrictions, CLS advises anxious clients to pursue any available legal option for their situations without panicking, he said. “I was struck by (the archbishop’s) reference to the Magi returning in a different way and we’re called to do things in a different way. We offer people a different way, a way forward and they will find the way, despite all the challenges we might face in the coming year,” he said.

During Communion, Chinese and Haitian choirs sang, and Uk Anyagaligbo and Don Primus Ekeoma led a recessional hymn in Igbo with enveloping drumbeats.  Anyagaligbo said the Nigerian Apostolate meets every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at St. Monica Church. “Our apostolate has been around 25 years and we’ve always been part of the Migration Mass. This is a time to showcase who we are through our songs, food and dance.”

The reception afterwards featured a musical and culinary smorgasbord, from Korean kimchi and Brazilian barbecue to Nigerian joloff rice and Filipino pancit noodles. Several dances ranged from a Polonia folk dance to a Nigerian performance with a traditional hand fan and elephant tusk, used to exchange greetings with the archbishop.

Shaly Robince from Our Lady of Health Catholic Forane Church in Coral Springs attends annually the Syro Malabar rite. Robince said the congregation draws many Indian immigrants from Kerala, India, and that Mass is celebrated in Malayalam. “We enjoy meeting different people, their food and the diversity in the cultures,” said Robince.

Brazilian immigrant Karlene Souza recalled how the church was a vital support when she first immigrated to the United States. “It’s very important we show others that we are here. I see more Brazilians and more Brazilians being introduced to the Catholic Church,” said Souza, who attends Saturday Portuguese Mass at San Francisco and Santa Clara Mission of Corpus Christi Parish in Miami. At the Migration Mass “we remind ourselves even though we speak different languages and wear different clothes, we all worship the same God. It’s very important to show we are equal and have to be united.”

Catherine Cing, whose husband Joseph Mang read the first reading, emigrated from Burma, which experienced a military coup. The Burmese community holds a first Sunday monthly prayer meeting at St. Gregory the Great Church in Plantation. “This is the first year that the Burmese community participates,” said Cing. “I’m so grateful to be participating in this Migrant Sunday Mass.”

Ewa Otfinowski performed the folk dance with the Polish American Club and attends Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Catholic Mission in Pompano Beach. “The Polish are a religious nation, deeply respectful of their history, culture and traditions. With an open mind and the motto ‘God, honor, fatherland’ they look to the future with hope,” Otfinowski said, noting Poland’s aid to nearly a million Ukranians.

Polish-American Jerzy Bogdziewicz added: “The Church is uniting everybody around the world. This is the most important. We have to be open to other nations who require our help.”

Haitian-American Diahna Dezile, 27, said the Mass affirmed, “we should try our best to be one nation.” Dezile regrets that she can’t visit Haiti due to safety but “the Mass here is exactly like the church in Haiti.”

Father Jesus Medina, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Big Pine Key and director of archdiocesan ministry of Cultural Groups, said that the annual Mass was started several years ago by Archbishop Wenski to further include the non-Hispanic cultural groups. “This event is brilliant,” said Father Medina, a native of the Philippines, adding, “It’s such a very happy end of the Christmas celebration.”

He was excited to have the Burmese community participated. “There were more people who attended and participated in the program- that means more food! The different cultures in the archdiocese have separate Masses in several parishes, this is the only event in the archdiocese where people are all together in one place,” he said.  “I’m looking forward that it will grow more in the coming year.”