‘Bless each act of welcome and outreach that draws those in exile into the “we” of community and of the Church,
Pope Francis
so that our earth may truly become what you yourself created it to be:
the common home of all our brothers and sisters.’
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Latest News
The Filipino Student/Young Adults Ministry at St. Agatha-James Parish welcome the new school Year 2025-2026 with a Mass by Bishop Efren Esmilla, Auxilliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on October 4, 2025.
Pope Leo XIV faces a difficult challenge on migration. He might be up to the task.
About Us
The Office for Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees (PCMR) facilitates the ecclesial integration and full participation of immigrants, refugees, migrants, and other ethnic groups in the life of the Church. The Archdiocese provides pastoral care to Catholics of diverse ethnic backgrounds through ethnic or personal parishes and through apostolates, which provide liturgical services and care to Catholics of various languages, cultures, and rites. In particular the office ministers to Asian, African, European, Caribbean, Brazilian, and Native American Catholics.
In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, we have mass in 17 languages other than English or Spanish. The office currently supports Catholic immigrant and ethnic Church communities made up of people who come from the following countries: Brazil, Haiti, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, France, Italy, Ireland, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Francophone Africa, Liberia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, China, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In addition the Office supports Native American Catholics and seafarers who temporarily stop in our shipping ports for their work. The Office is happy to collaborate with Priests, Religious, and lay people to address needs of communities who are newly arriving and may not currently not be supported by any ministerial outreach.
The main ministerial responsibilities for the Director are:
1. To make sure that each PCMR community has a priest that speaks their language and knows their culture and that each community has a parish to call home
2. To serve as a link between the Archdiocese and the PCMR communities to ensure that the communities are invited to, welcomed, and able to participate in any activity or ministry of the Archdiocese
3. To develop relationships with the PCMR priests, Religious Sisters, Deacons, lay leaders and community as a whole to know better their ideas, desires, and needs and how we can collaborate to bring them to reality
4. To create opportunities and space where the PCMR communities can share their talents, goodness, and gifts of faith and culture to build up the entire Church of Philadelphia
5. To act as a reference person for other social needs, linking people to needed services including immigration support and English and citizenship classes.
Latest News
- The Day of Prayer for Peace Feb. 24 in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul responded to the national call for prayer amidst the “current climate of fear and polarization” regarding immigration in the U.S. The post Archbishop Pérez Prays for Peace, Gift of Human Dignity, at Mass and Holy Hour appeared first […]
- The post ‘Holding Families in Warehouses Should Challenge Conscience of Every American,’ Bishop Says appeared first on CatholicPhilly.
- Catholics joining in a holy hour Nov. 16 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul found strength from Christ’s presence in the Eucharist to be present to “the least of these,” including migrating men and women. The post Plight of Migrants to U.S. Becomes Focus of Prayer at Cathedral appeared first on CatholicPhilly.
- More than 100 clergy, religious sisters and lay people gathered in center city Philadelphia Nov. 13 to take prayerful action, including a public eucharistic procession, supporting immigrants in danger of deportation. The post Prayer Vigil for Immigrants Unites Catholics Outside City ICE Office appeared first on CatholicPhilly.