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In this edition:
| Introducing Our Keynote Speaker: Cardinal Fabio Baggio, CS – 8th ACMRO National Conference 2026
| Migrant Jubilee Cross Brings a Message of Welcome and Unity
| Sr Alessandra Smerilli New Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
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The ACMRO congratulates Cardinal Fabio Baggio CS on his appointment by Pope Leo as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The appointment will take effect in September 2026.
Cardinal Baggio will deliver the first keynote address at the 8th ACMRO National Conference on Migrant Communities in a Synodal Church, to be held on 25–26 August 2026 at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney.
Cardinal Baggio holds a Licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. During his early missionary work, he served as a consultant on migration for the Chilean bishops’ conference and, subsequently, as director of the Buenos Aires archdiocese’s Department of Migration. He has taught at several universities across Europe, Latin America and Asia. He directed the Scalabrini Migration Center in Quezon City, Philippines, and was responsible for the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal (2002–2010). In 2010, he was appointed director of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI) in Rome.
Since his appointment to the dicastery in 2016, Cardinal Baggio has played a pivotal role in advancing the Church’s global response to migration and forced displacement. In January 2017, Pope Francis entrusted him with responsibility for the dicastery’s Migrants and Refugees section. He was subsequently appointed undersecretary of the dicastery in April 2022 and concurrently served as general director and director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education.
In December 2024, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals in recognition of his significant contribution to the Church’s mission. His leadership continues to shape international Catholic engagement with migrants, refugees and vulnerable communities.
Joining Cardinal Baggio at the 8th ACMRO National Conference will be Dr Trudy Dantis, director of the National Centre for Pastoral Research; Archbishop Christopher Prowse of Canberra and Goulburn, chair of the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry; and Bishop George Kolodziej SDS of Bunbury, who will address delegates at the conference dinner. Together, these speakers will help participants reflect on how migrant communities can continue to evangelise, inspire hope and strengthen the Church’s synodal mission in Australia.
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The pilgrimage of the Migrant Jubilee Cross across Western Australia has highlighted the Church’s call to welcome, value and journey with people from all cultures and backgrounds. Welcomed into the Archdiocese of Perth in April, the Cross brought together migrant communities, parish communities and young people in prayer, celebration and reflection.
At the welcome Mass, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB of Perth described the Cross as a sacred sign reminding Catholics to recognise the dignity of every person and welcome the stranger as Christ. He encouraged Australians to move beyond tolerance and actively respect and value newcomers, while also honouring Australia’s First Peoples.
Throughout its journey, the Migrant Jubilee Cross inspired multicultural celebrations featuring prayers, music and traditions from many cultural communities. Youth gatherings and parish events further strengthened bonds of faith, friendship and belonging.
At the farewell Mass, Deacon Greg Lowe, director of the West Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, encouraged parishes to make hospitality and inclusion a regular part of parish life, reminding Catholics that every culture brings unique gifts to the Church.
Created for the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Migrant Jubilee Cross symbolises the faith, resilience and contributions of migrant communities. As it continues its journey across regional Western Australia, it carries a simple but powerful message: every person is welcome, every culture enriches the Church and every parish is called to be a home for all.
At the moment, the Migrant Jubilee Cross is visiting communities across dioceses in Queensland.
We extend our acknowledgement and gratitude to the Archdiocese of Perth’s The Record, the original publisher of this article.
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Along with the announcement of Cardinal Fabio Baggio’s appointment as the dicastery’s Pro-Prefect, Pope Leo also named two additional leaders to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, marking a new chapter for one of the Vatican’s key departments dedicated to advancing human dignity, justice, peace, migration, healthcare, charity and care for creation.
At the heart of these changes is the appointment of Sr Alessandra Smerilli as prefect of the dicastery. A member of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Sister Smerilli has served as the dicastery’s secretary since 2021 and will now succeed Cardinal Michael Czerny in leading the department.
Completing the new leadership team, Monsignor Jozef Barlaš has been named secretary of the dicastery after serving as its under-secretary. His appointment ensures continuity in the department’s mission and operations.
Together, these appointments strengthen the leadership of a Vatican office that plays a central role in coordinating the Church’s response to some of the world’s most pressing social and humanitarian challenges. Through its work, the dicastery continues to promote the Church’s vision of integral human development – one that seeks the flourishing of every person and the protection of the common good.
In her address to the Migrants and Refugees Oceania Network (of which ACMRO is a member on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference) during its first in-person gathering as an officially recognised network in Sydney in December 2025, Sr Smerilli encouraged members to remain grounded in three guiding principles as they advance their mission. Using the imagery of an ocean voyage, she invited the network to look back with gratitude at the people and experiences that brought them together, to remain attentive to the gentle movement of the Holy Spirit amid the challenges facing migrants and refugees, and to look to the “stars” for guidance – those migrants and refugees whose courage, resilience and faith are signs of hope in a world marked by conflict and injustice. Expressing her gratitude to the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania for supporting the network, Sr Smerilli affirmed that the dicastery continues to journey alongside the network as it works together to serve migrants, refugees and displaced people across the region.
We extend our acknowledgement and gratitude to Vatican News, the original publisher of this article.
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