Local Church to Foster Migrants, Refugees’ Dignity: Religious Superior Visiting S. Africa

Fr. Chiarello who previously served as a member of the World Refugee & Migration Council highlighted the presence of the Scalabrinians in the mission of the Church across the globe. 

He told ACI Africa, “We are currently present in 34 countries. We are in parishes and missions where we provide evangelization programs, and then we have a network of shelters and houses for migrants and refugees.”

Credit: St Patrick's La Rochelle

“For example, here in Johannesburg we have a shelter for migrant women and their children, and Parishes. And in Cape Town we are working in Parishes; we have the Scalabrini Center, and we also have a center for seafarers, the Stella Maris Center, as we have a Stella Maris network in several countries,” he said. 

The 55-year-old Superior General of the Scalabrinians who interacted with Archbishop Buti Joseph Thlagale of Johannesburg Archdiocese and Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town Archdiocese during his 13-day Canonical visit to South Africa lauded members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) for their initiatives in the care for migrants and refugees in the region.

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He said, “There is a remarkable commitment of the Bishops and the Church here in South Africa and on the rest of the continent as far as caring for migrants and refugees is concerned.”

Fr. Leonir Chiarello and Archbishop Buti Tlhagale during visit to St Patrick Catholic Church in Johannesburg. Credit: St Patrick's La Rochelle

“So, what we expressed to Archbishops Buti Tlhagale and Stephen Brislin here in Cape Town, is our commitment with our specific charism of working with migrants and refugees and to contribute to the remarkable commitment that they have already put in place at Diocesan and parish level, and within the different groups of the Catholic Church”, the Brazilian-born Superior General of the Scalabrinians told ACI Africa August 11.

Sheila Pires is a veteran radio and television Mozambican journalist based in South Africa. She studied communications at the University of South Africa. She is passionate about writing on the works of the Church through Catholic journalism.