About 400 faithful took part in a Mass organised by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) at the Church of the Risen Christ. An exhibit by refugees from Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal accompanied the service.
In previous days, handicrafts made by refugees were put on sale in order to help them keep their dignity since they are normally not allowed to work outside refugee camps.
"Many refugees have been robbed of their homes, property, identity and future," Archbishop Chia explained. "The least we can do is share with them our concern and prayers. We should accompany them, serve them and advocate for their needs, as Christ would have done."
“By doing this, we also build stronger parish faith communities in fulfilling our social mission and task of evangelisation," he added.
This year, the United Nations picked 'Real People, Real Needs' as the Day’s theme.
“The theme is a constant reminder that the problem of refugees is still a challenge for all of us today, as it was when the Vietnamese boat people first came to Singapore in the early 1980s," the prelate said. "Our mission is not ended and we have a duty to reach out and assist them."
In Singapore, refugees face many obstacles. Anyone found in the city-sate without a regular permit can be stopped and expelled, sent back to the country where they fled persecution, civil war and violence.
The asylum process is long and complex. Refugees cannot work in Singapore and their children are only rarely admitted to public schools. They often have to live in a situation of uncertainty and feel they have no future.
Fr Prakash Louis, JRS regional director for South Asia, pronounced the homily during the Mass. He spoke about the difficult situation of refugees coming from countries torn by long civil wars like Sri Lanka. He also referred to the Church’s commitment to helping refugees build a new life, respectful of their human dignity.
He also mentioned John Paul II who taught, “It is in working among the refugees and internally displaced people that the church experiences its function in its most realistic form.”
The JSR is a Catholic agency operating in 56 countries, especially in areas affected by war or natural disasters. It has been involved in rescue work during the 2004 tsunami, the civil war in Sudan and during Typhoon Nargis in Myanmar.
For more information on refugees and the work of the JRS, click on www.jrs.net.
Photo by Jeremy Lim, Marianne Tan/Caritas Singapore