News

01 December 2025

The ACMRO team extends their sincere wishes for an Advent season and Christmas celebration filled with peace, joy, love and blessings. We deeply appreciate your exemplary collaboration in this ministry and the essential role you play in our journey.

May the everlasting light of Christ shine upon your heart and home this Christmas season and always.

We look forward to continuing to share our newsletters with you in early February 2026.

03 November 2025

The ACMRO team is pleased to announce that it will host the eighth iteration of its National Conference on 25–26 August 2026 at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney.

The aim of the conference is to acknowledge and celebrate the faith, gifts, contributions and resilience that migrant communities bring to both our local Church and the wider world, with a particular emphasis on their role in a synodal Church.

More details will be posted on the ACMRO website soon.

03 October 2025

A striking symbol of welcome and faith will “set sail” on Sunday, as the Jubilee Migrant Cross is formally launched at St Christopher’s Cathedral in Canberra to mark the 111th World Day for Migrants and Refugees. (Source: Catholic Voice.)

The launch marks the beginning of a year-long national pilgrimage, recognising the contributions of Australia’s migrant and refugee communities.

“This is an opportunity for the Church to honour the vital role of migrants and refugees,” said Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse, who is bishop delegate for migrants and refugees.

“We are very much in the Jubilee Year of Pilgrims of Hope. One of the initiatives taking shape now is highlighting the great contributions that migrants and refugees make to Australia.”

Crafted from Australian recycled timber and set on a boat-shaped base, the Jubilee Migrant Cross carries deep symbolism.

“This cross will move through 28 dioceses – a migrant and refugee cross set on a boat, symbolising the pilgrimage we are all on.”

“The cross represents the journey of migrants, and the boat represents the Church as a pilgrimage toward a safe harbour,” said Fr Khalid Marogi, National Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office.

At its centre are the Southern Cross constellation and relics of the Holy Family and Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, reflecting the faith that unites communities across generations.

Fr Marogi said the cross acknowledges the gifts and resilience of migrants.

“My hope is that this cross allows our wider community to see migrants as people who contribute to the Church and enrich our society.”

Launching this Sunday, the Jubilee Migrant Cross shines as a national sign of welcome and a testament to Australia’s enduring commitment to community, compassion, and inclusion.

More information is available at the Migrant Jubilee Cross webpage on the ACMRO website.

CathNews Article | Catholic Voice Article

21 August 2025

North Sydney, Australia—Today, the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry (BCELM) launched a new document titled "Under the Southern Cross: A Journey of Faith and Unity." The release marks the 75th anniversary of the landmark 1950 Pastoral Letter on Immigration, originally issued by the Archbishops and Bishops of Australia.

The new Pastoral Letter reflects on the Church’s longstanding commitment to supporting migrants and refugees, reaffirming its mission to promote dignity, inclusion, and unity within Australian society.

In the document’s preface, BCELM Chair Archbishop Christopher Prowse writes, “The Catholic Church has long stood in solidarity with migrants and refugees, advocating for their dignity and inclusion.” He continues: “As we look to the future, let us continue to embrace those who seek refuge and opportunity here, recognising in them the face of Christ. Their stories are now part of our shared story, and their hopes are woven into the promise of Australia.”

The document is available in multiple formats, including PDF and web versions. For access, please visit www.catholic.au

ACBC Media Release | CathNews Article

26 July 2025

In his heartfelt message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Leo XIV calls on the Church and global communities to recognise migrants and refugees not only as people seeking safety and opportunity but also as “missionaries of hope.”

Coinciding with the Jubilee of Migrants, the Pope’s message highlights the urgent challenges faced by displaced people amid war, climate crises, and economic inequality. He urges us to renew our commitment to peace, dignity, and shared responsibility.

“Migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope,” the Pope emphasised, drawing parallels between their journeys and the biblical exodus of the people of Israel. He stressed that their courage and spiritual depth can revitalise communities and foster interreligious dialogue, especially in regions experiencing spiritual decline.

Pope Leo reminds us that the Church is a pilgrim people, journeying towards its heavenly homeland. Catholic migrants, he says, are uniquely positioned to evangelise and bring new life to communities, while host nations are called to welcome them as “brothers and sisters.”

Concluding his message, Pope Leo entrusted all migrants and refugees and those who support them to the protection of the Virgin Mary, praying that hope may flourish in their hearts and guide them toward a world more reflective of God’s kingdom."

09 May 2025

With great joy, the ACMRO joins the Church in welcoming the election of Pope Leo XIV as the new pope. Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first American and Augustinian pope, was born in Chicago on 14 September 1955. On 30 January 2023, the late Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

The Pope also holds a Peruvian citizenship, where he spent much of his missionary ministry and later became the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in 2015. He reportedly developed a keen awareness of the vulnerabilities faced by migrants and the circumstances forcing migration.

Following his election as the 267th Successor of Saint Peter, the Pope addressed the faithful outside St Peter’s Basilica and said, “We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.” This is a timely and relevant challenge the Church will continue to pray for, discern, and translate into action.

May Pope Leo XIV's election continue to inspire and encourage us all to keep working and walking together for a society that respects everyone's dignity, particularly those who have been displaced from their homes in finding a better future for themselves.

Read the ACBC media release here.

Read the Vatican News article here.

Read Pope Leo XIV's first words here.

Know more about Pope Leo XIV here.