Apr 19th
Apr 12, 2024
135th years of
Scalabrinian Laity
On this day, 135 years ago, the legacy of love and service of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini became evident with the founding of the Society of Saint Raphael in New York. A community of Laypeople inspired by Christian charity, who gave themselves to the service of those most in need, especially those who, as migrants, were seeking a new life in the Americas. Although the years have passed and the San Rafael Society dissolved since the 1920s, its spirit endures in countless groups of Laypeople who, today, continue their work with fervor and dedication.
In the contemporary world, the circumstances and faces of migration may have changed, but the need for solidarity, compassion and support remains just as urgent, if not more so. Today's Lay Scalabrinians face new and complex challenges, but their commitment to the Gospel and to their neighbors remains unwavering.
Scalabrinian lay people are men and women, both adults and young people, who, after a period of Scalabrinian missionary formation, commit themselves to the work of evangelization in the local church in synergy with priests, brothers and sisters. They are guided by the same prophetic charisma and by the same compassion for migrants and refugees, regardless of their culture, religion, language or administrative situation.
The Laity organize some regional, national and world meetings, which are decisive in recovering the Lay commitment in the development, updating and renewal of the Scalabrinian service to the Church. Lay volunteers and Scalabrinian Lay missionaries spend a set amount of time with migrants and refugees in their own countries or abroad.
In a world where millions of people are forced to leave their homes in search of a better future, lay Scalabrinians are beacons of hope and living examples of God's love in action. Their work is more crucial than ever, as they face an immigration reality that is constantly growing and transforming.
Today, let us renew our commitment to the principles of justice, solidarity and welcome that inspired Saint John Baptist Scalabrini and his followers. May we continue to be witnesses of the love of Christ through our service to migrants and the most vulnerable, always remembering that in every face we encounter the face of Christ himself is present. Amen.
Scalabrini Mobile™
Ver. 2.4.1
Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo
The Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo, also known as Scalabrinians, is an international apostolic community of religious brothers and priests of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in Piacenza (Italy) in 1887 by Saint John Baptist Scalabrini.
Migrant Missionaries
We are committed to the promotion of human dignity and rights of migrants. We are called to be migrants among migrants, sharing in their journey, their struggles and their hopes, inspired by the example of Jesus, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40)
Missionaries for Migrants
Our religious congregation is present in 34 countries around the world. The Province of St. Charles encompasses 7 of those countries. Our missionary work includes advocacy and promotion of human rights of migrants, research and studies, migrants’ centers and pastoral services in multi-cultural parishes.
Word and Gospel of the Day
Misioneros Scalabrinianos al servicio de los más vulnerables. (English Subtitles)
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The People we Serve
The world of migration displays a great variety of situations. Some groups of migrants preserve and
develop the human and Christian riches of their ancestral heritage and so become a contributing
force for the progress and enrichment of civil and ecclesial society. Other groups, instead, are still
living the experience of migration in its most painful and discriminatory aspects. Even those who
may have achieved a satisfactory economic position often remain in a poverty of rights, of recognition,
of ability to communicate, and, above all, in a poverty of faith and religious spirit that is more
painful than economic poverty itself.
In all this variety of situations, we remain faithful to our
specific mission and keep rediscovering our charism, as we place ourselves at the service of those
people whose conditions, needs, and longings are analogous to those that induced our Founder to give
life to the Congregation.
Therefore, in a spirit of fidelity to the MANDATE he gave us and in keeping with the realities of the
contemporary world, we dedicate ourselves to all those who, because of migration and out of real
necessity, require a specific pastoral care. And in accordance with the will of the Church, the
intentions of our Founder, and the history of the Congregation, we reaffirm our preferential option -
from among all those we are to serve - for those migrants who are more acutely living the drama of
migration.
We have the duty always to make sure that our existing works, and those we intend to take on, are
truly in line with the specific purpose and vital needs of the Congregation.
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Painting Nicolas Poussin - The Holy Family in Egypt
