Ministry to Migrants and Correctional Institutions by Fr. Jun Jacobe OMI

 

Migration is a movement to another place, often of a large group of people or animals. Even before the OMI General Chapter of 2016 adopted this phenomenon, people cross borders in order to search for work, education and new horizons. Those who are unlucky to find one end up facing displacement, victims of human and drug trafficking and worst is to suffer from the experience of being stateless persons.

 

The Ministry to the Migrants in the China Delegation started with accommodating the Filipino Migrant workers by the Parish Priests of Notre Dame and St. Alfred Parishes. On Sunday, they come to attend the English and Tagalog Masses and serving as Eucharistic Ministers, Choir, Lectors and Commentators, Usherettes and Sacristans. They also formed various religious groupings and organised social and religious activities. In Hong Kong, there are around 220,000 Filipino Domestic Helpers and 130,000 Indonesians. The majority of them gather and come for Mass on Sunday in the various parishes in the Diocese of Hong Kong.  The Diocese of Hong Kong has set up the Diocesan Commission on Migrants in order to address the issues and problems face by the Migrants particularly the Filipinos, Indonesians, Sri Lankans, Vietnamese and other nationalities. A Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Migrant Filipinos has been established in order to cater to the spiritual needs of both the Filipinos and Indonesians and 2 shelter homes for accommodations of those terminated domestic helpers and facing court litigations.

 

Currently, there are two Oblate priests involve in these Ministry to Migrants and Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy: Fr. Jun Jacobe OMI and Fr. John Wootherspoon.