Pilgrims carrying crosses, rosaries, banners, and monarch butterflies processed down 16th Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., on Sept. 28, praying and singing in solidarity with migrants and refugees. Nearly 1,000 people joined the procession for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which had “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope” as its theme. They paused at seven reflection stops before concluding the walk at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, where Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy celebrated a Mass marking the day. The procession and reflections were organized by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. Participants described the walk as a witness of faith and hope.
City noise gave way to hymns and testimonies as people carrying sacred images led the walk. Pilgrims lifted the San Damiano Cross and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, while symbolic monarch butterflies, mounted on sticks, tucked into hats, or woven into hair, fluttered above the crowd. Many pilgrims also carried rosaries, fingering the beads in prayer as they moved along the route. Monarch butterflies make a 3,000-mile migration from Canada to Mexico, a natural journey often invoked as a reminder of the resilience of migrants and refugees seeking a better life.
Parents pushed strollers, children rode on shoulders, and some leaned on canes to keep pace. Pilgrims walked with family and friends, while others came alone. Along the way, many fell into step together and struck up conversations.
Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar walked with the pilgrims, moving throughout the crowd to greet participants, shake hands, and take “selfies.” He described the procession as a way of bringing the faith into public life. “The point of a procession is precisely about bringing the faith and Christ to the public,” Bishop Menjivar said. “Who knows, maybe somebody standing by is sad or feeling down, but when they see something like this, they get encouraged.”
Bishop Menjivar said the prayers and songs expressed “the joy of our faith wherever we go,” and he compared the walk to the disciples’ encounter with Christ on the road to Emmaus. “Jesus walked with them. He walked with those who were sad. And then their hearts started to burn within them,” he said. The bishop, who himself is an immigrant from El Salvador, urged young people to hold fast to their faith. “Choose hope,” he said. “Many people choose anxiety and despair. But faith and hope are gifts, and we have to ask for them.”
At each of the seven stops, participants prayed for migrants and refugees facing different realities: strangers seeking welcome, those in legal struggles, those discerning whether to migrate, people in refugee camps, those detained, advocates at the border, and young people including DREAMers and unaccompanied children. Testimonies were offered by immigrants from Gabon, Burkina Faso, South Korea, Nicaragua, Cameroon, and Guatemala.
Dr. Peter K. Kilpatrick, president of The Catholic University of America, reflected on the Gospel of Matthew. “‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me,’” he said, quoting Matthew 25:45. He said whenever Catholics have the opportunity to demonstrate their faith through corporal or spiritual works of mercy, they are called to do so. “We are called by God to support others in this way,” Kilpatrick said.
Daniel Alfaro, 19, a parishioner of Sacred Heart in Baltimore and student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, offered this advice he learned from his parents who immigrated to the United States from Mexico before he was born. “I’d say keep your head up. People go through a lot. But pray, because Jesus is going to help you. Take every opportunity you can to do the best you can.”
Scarlett Mareno, a ninth grader at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington and a parishioner at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, served at the front of the procession as an altar server, carrying the San Damiano Cross and a banner that read, “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope.” Asked what she hopes for the future, she said, “For us to be a peaceful people. For us to get along with each other and for racism and hate to be no more.”
Father Timothy Manatt, S.J., a Jesuit of the Midwest Province and student of canon law at The Catholic University of America, said the walk carried a quiet but clear message. “This prayerful procession of pilgrims was, in a way, making a political statement, even though it wasn’t a protest,” Father Manatt said. “What we are called to do is to walk with our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters. What better way to spend a Sunday than taking to the streets in prayer?”
Charlene Howard, executive director of Pax Christi USA and a parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Washington, said she joined because it was “an opportunity to be a part of the procession to support our immigrant community.”
Daniel Gilheney-Gallagher, a volunteer at the event and parishioner of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, said he felt called to give his Sunday in support of the cause. “We’re all human, and the dignity of every person should be honored,” he said. “Yet in recent years, policies have made the journey into this country unnecessarily hard for those seeking a new life.”
Some who watched from the sidewalks also reacted to the procession. Carlik Brown, a Metrobus operator whose route was paused to let the procession pass, stepped out to take in the scene. “It was powerful to see so many people united in solidarity and standing up for what they believe,” he said. “Moments like this remind us that we all belong to something greater than ourselves.”
The two-and-a-half-hour procession ended with a final blessing on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Matthew, where many participants wiped their brows in the late-afternoon sun before entering the church for the 5:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Cardinal McElroy.
Reflecting on the meaning of the day, Maeve Gilheney-Gallagher, Global Solidarity Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Washington’s Office of Missions, said she was first introduced to Latin American hospitality and faith-filled hearts during the two years she spent living in Guatemala.
“I believe we should treat others as citizens of heaven, and all cultures are what make our country beautiful.”
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