PROVINCIA EUROPA ATLÁNTICA
DOS EXPERIENCIAS DE VERANO DE CERCANÍA A LOS MIGRANTES
TWO SUMMER EXPERIENCES OF CLOSENESS TO MIGRANTS This article, “Two Summer Experiences of Closeness to Migrants”, recounts two projects organised with young people from the Europe–Atlantic Province and the Human Mobility European Group of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, inspired by the Jubilee of Hope and the province’s apostolic priorities. One experience took place in Calais (France), where nine young people from France, Portugal, and Spain volunteered with two organisations, Care4Calais and Refugee Community Kitchen, living alongside migrants hoping to cross to the UK. The other was held in Gran Canaria (Spain), where another group of nine worked with unaccompanied minor migrants from West Africa, teaching Spanish and digital skills in collaboration with Fundación ECCA Social. Both initiatives became a spiritual and human journey of encounter, service, and mutual learning. From these experiences, we distilled “Nine Steps for Hope”, expressing the attitudes learned through contact with migrants:
1• Be open to encounter, through humble listening.
2• Go beyond oneself, overcoming comfort and self-interest.
3• Allow oneself to be evangelised, recognising migrants as a blessing.
4• Break inner walls, confronting prejudice and fear.
5• Build community, living fraternity and shared joy.
6• Learn the language of care, which transcends words.
7• Denounce injustice, giving voice to the silenced.
8• Weave networks of solidarity, working with people of goodwill.
9• Walk with Mary, Mother and comfort of migrants.
The text concludes with a call to keep hope alive and to build together a more just and fraternal world—a true reflection of God’s Kingdom.
Ya mucho se ha dicho (¡y vivido!) sobre el Jubileo de la Esperanza . Quiso Dios que esta propuesta de ser peregrinos de Esperanza fuese una especie de Testamento, el mensaje final del Papa Francisco para
nuestro mundo: “ Todos esperan. En el corazón de toda persona anida la esperanza como deseo y expectativa del bien, aun ignorando lo que traerá consigo el mañana. ” ( Spes non confundit, 1 ).
27
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator