We close the Advent season with the hand of the Vedruna Europe Province, with one of its various experiences in welcoming migrants, projects that make the challenge of being a “house with open doors” a reality.
Welcoming immigrants in our home sent from the “Mesa por la Hospitalidad”, a platform of Church organizations in Madrid (Spain) that work with migrants.
The children we receive arrive with the desire to better themselves, some with medium or higher education, but with nothing and with a thousand barriers to get legalization documents in Spain and obtain a work permit.
In the community they find a home, basic services and some information, aimed at the training process that will help them to be legalized.
Young people arrived at the end of 2022 and were given orientation to study ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education), studies that they will complete in February 2024, and which will allow them to have access to certain benefits in Spain.
They have already obtained asylum and work permits; they are currently employed and self-supporting. They are young people who fled their country because they disagreed with immoral practices related to drug trafficking.
Others come to our home fleeing poverty and war.
Spiritual motivations
“Authentic faith not only gives strength to the human heart, but transforms the whole of life, transfigures objective problems, illuminates the relationship with others and the ties with all of creation.” (Laudate Deum, 61)
“Synodality is walking, praying, dreaming and participating together. It is a journey of discernment in common, listening to the Spirit. It is a call to personal, communitarian and ecclesial conversion that has as its objective the construction of a more just and egalitarian world, the construction of a fraternal, sororal and missionary ecclesial community at the service of the common good”. (Chapter Document “Born Again”, 13)
Suggested reading for the last week of Advent: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me”. (Matt 25:35-46)