The Migrants' Mass has become an annual event and a feature of the Catholic Church's calendar.
It’s a Mass recognising the contribution of migrant workers and their families to UK society.
Taking place on the first Monday in May (Bank Holiday Monday), in honour of the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the celebration is jointly organised by the dioceses of Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster – whose territories cover the London area.
The Mass is lead by the archbishops, bishops and priests from the three dioceses and it always attracts a congregation of several thousand people. It is supported by London Citizens, a community-based civil organisation whose membership includes many Catholic parishes, schools and agencies.
The congregation is also made up of our Ethnic Chaplaincies and members of the Diplomatic Corps representing some of the sending countries.
It’s a visible sign of the Catholic Church’s pastoral care for migrants and their families and falls on the first Monday in May (Bank Holiday Monday).
It provides the opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity in our communities and acknowledges that the Church has benefited greatly from the faith and witness of migrant communities from all parts of the world – from Africa and Asia, from Eastern and Western Europe, from the islands of the Caribbean and more recently from South America.
Our parishes have been enriched by the strong sense of community and commitment to family life within many of our migrant communities, by their love for the Scriptures, by their devotion to Our Lady and especially by their joyful participation in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Puppet of a 10-year old unaccompanied Syrian refugee girl
