The beauty of a community can be found in the many stories, cultures, and traditions that come together within it.
The 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees was a meaningful and vibrant occasion for our community, bringing together people from different countries and backgrounds in a shared spirit of faith, welcome, and fraternity.
Through food, music, traditions, and stories, each community brought a unique expression of its culture. Together, these different voices created something greater than any one tradition alone: a space where people could encounter one another, learn from one another, and celebrate the richness of our diversity.
A Celebration of Culture and Faith
The celebration was enriched by the participation of communities from different countries, each contributing its own traditions and cultural expressions.
Traditional foods, music, customs, and shared experiences transformed the gathering into a joyful celebration of the many cultures that make up our community.
These expressions of culture are more than beautiful traditions. They carry memories, identities, histories, and stories that people bring with them when they leave their home countries.
Creating a space where these traditions can be shared and appreciated helps migrants and refugees feel recognized and welcomed while allowing the wider community to discover the richness they bring.
A Community of Encounter
At the heart of the celebration was the opportunity to meet one another.
When people from different backgrounds come together, there is an opportunity to move beyond differences and discover what we share: the desire to belong, to be welcomed, to live with dignity, and to build a better future.
The gathering created a space for conversation, friendship, and mutual appreciation. Every person had something to contribute, and every culture added another part to the story of our community.
Walking Together
The World Day of Migrants and Refugees reminds us that migration is not simply about movement from one place to another. It is also about people, families, hopes, challenges, and the search for a place where they can feel at home.
Our response begins with accompaniment: walking alongside people, listening to their stories, welcoming them, and recognizing the gifts they bring to the communities they join.
This spirit of walking together was clearly present throughout the celebration. People from different backgrounds came together not as separate communities, but as part of one shared community.
Everyone Has a Place
One of the most beautiful messages of the day was the simple truth that everyone belongs.
A community becomes stronger when every culture is respected, every voice is valued, and every person is given the opportunity to participate.
The presence and participation of migrants and refugees enrich our communities in countless ways. Their traditions, experiences, faith, talents, and stories become part of the shared life of the places they now call home.
Celebrating this diversity is also an invitation to build communities where no one is treated as a stranger.
Continuing to Welcome and Accompany
The celebration was more than a single gathering. It was a visible expression of the kind of community we hope to continue building: one rooted in welcome, dignity, fraternity, and solidarity.
We are grateful to everyone who participated and contributed to making this occasion so meaningful. Each person who shared a tradition, a meal, a story, or simply their presence helped create a stronger sense of community.
As we continue our mission alongside migrants and refugees, may we keep choosing encounter over distance, welcome over exclusion, and solidarity over indifference.
Together, with all our differences and shared hopes, we can continue walking together as one community.
Apostolado del Mar - Stella Maris Uruguay
stellamarisuruguay1946@gmail.com
Tel. 2914 - 5679
(+598) 094224534
Av. Washington 274, Montevideo, Uruguay
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 14:00 - 19:00
Sunday and Monday: time may vary
Casa de Acogida
San Juan Bautista Scalabrini
asuncionmigrantes@gmail.com
Tel. 2481 - 5322
Av. Luis Alberto de Herrera 2231, Montevideo, Uruguay
Office Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 14:30 - 18:00