The Holy Father’s Intentions: Migrants

I remember clearly the day we met Josi. I was walking down a busy street in Lima, Peru, with four of my missionary sisters. A young woman sat on the sidewalk selling candy. She had an infant in her arms and a toddler in the stroller next to her. 

She wasn’t vying for attention. If I had been by myself, I’m afraid I might have passed on by. But one of my fellow missionaries, a mother herself, was compelled to stop and talk.

We learned that Josi, a Venezuelan, had made the arduous trip from her country to Peru as a pregnant woman with a small child. Her baby was born after she arrived in Lima. She was renting a hotel room and spent her days selling candy to get by. It would be almost impossible for her to work a job with two small children and no family or friends to help. I can’t begin to imagine how dire the situation was at home, as she told us that life in Peru was still better than being in Venezuela.

We chatted for a while and prayed with Josi. My fellow missionary Inge asked her what she needed. She responded that she could use diapers for the baby. We walked to the pharmacy nearby and purchased a pack for her. Tami, one of the other moms with us, noticed that the toddler wasn’t wearing any pants. So she and Rachel went to find a children’s clothing store. As we waited with Josi, Inge felt inspired to take her to the grocery store.

When Inge asked Josi what groceries she needed for food this week, she chose a bag of rice. Inge told her she could have more than just that, so she pulled off the shelf another bag of rice. Inge was able to convince her to buy other food items, personal items for the children, and finally some toothpaste and shampoo for herself.

Josi was extremely gracious. With the groceries and diapers, she would have had a hard time taking the bus home that day, so we hailed a taxi for her, gave both her and the driver instructions, and prayed that she made it home safely.

That image of Josi and her children in the backseat of the taxi stays with me. We said goodbye to her knowing that we would probably never meet again. We could only pray that things would get better for her, that she and her children would be okay, and that someone else would be inspired to help them another day.

That day we got a small glimpse into the life of a migrant. We had been hearing how awful the situation in Venezuela was. Now we had met this young woman, barely an adult, who had undertaken a long and difficult journey in hope of a better life. It made us realize that what she left behind was probably far worse than anything we could imagine. 

During this month of June, the Holy Father invites us to pray for people like Josi around the world. He writes:

We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

As we sit and pray in the comfort of our own homes, let us not forget those who have been forced to leave theirs. Let us, together with the church, pray for their needs. And let us remember that we are all sojourners in this world, journeying to our common heavenly home.