I believe this was the third year our diocese gathered at the Refugee Centre in Malindza. Though I had attended events held on "Refugee Day" in previous years, I had done so as "Caritas Swaziland" president.
In 2016, though, as a response to Pope Francis' plea, the "Swaziland Council of Catholic Women" (SCCW) decided to make this an annual event for the whole diocese.
I shared about it in this article.
The initial date was September 1 but, because of the "Reed Dance", it was postponed to the following Saturday (8 September). The positive side of it was that we then gathered on the feast of the birthday of Mary. The not-so-positive was that, the night before, there was a terrible storm all over the country and the last kilometre to the Refugee Centre (on a dirt road) was a big challenge to all the drivers.
Like in the previous years, we started with the celebration of the Mass. Matthew's Gospel proclaims the good news that "God-is-with-us" and who better than the refugees to testify to it.
Though they had to leave their countries because of the difficult situations, the fact that they travelled the continent with their families facing every possible challenge but they arrived here and were welcomed by the people of Eswatini is a sign of God's presence and care.
It was also seen in our own presence. Though the weather had changed and the roads were difficult, the attendance from the different parishes was excellent, together with the gifts of food and clothes collected for them.
There was not much to say after the Mass because actions speak louder than words. The message was clear: we stand #WithRefugees.
Jesus' familiar words by the end of the Gospel of Matthew are always present in our hearts: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” (Mt 25: 35 - 36) In the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger... God-is-with-us.
Not only for us, though, but also for them. As Christians, they too are called to see in each other the presence of God. There are over 80 families at present with more than 340 people. Nearly 200 of them are children. They come from Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and the Democratic Republic Congo among other countries.
We are aware that much more is needed. The challenges refugees and the management of the Centre face are many and therefore we remember Pope Francis' homily just a few months' ago:
"Before the challenges of contemporary movements of migration, the only reasonable response is one of solidarity and mercy. A response less concerned with calculations, than with the need for an equitable distribution of responsibilities, an honest and sincere assessment of the alternatives and a prudent management. A just policy is one at the service of the person, of every person involved; a policy that provides for solutions that can ensure security, respect for the rights and dignity of all; a policy concerned for the good of one’s own country, while taking into account that of others in an ever more interconnected world. It is to this world that the young look." (Pope Francis, 6 July 2018)
