Dear Fellow New Yorker,
On World Day of Migrants and Refugees and National Migration Week we are reminded of something
fundamental: every person is first and foremost a human being — not a number, a statistic, or a label.
Behind every migrant and refugee is a mother, a father, a child, a family, a story, and a hope for a safer and
better future. Each person carries the same dignity that belongs to every one of us. Many come to the
United States searching for the American dream — the same dream of safety, freedom, opportunity, and
a better life that brought generations of our own families to these shores. New York City, in particular, has
embodied that dream and possibility, giving it its strength over generations.
For us as Catholics, this is more than a humanitarian concern; it is a matter of faith. Jesus reminds us in
the Gospel of Matthew: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
At Catholic Charities of New York and CMS, our mission calls us to see the person in their fullness, not a sum of
circumstances. We serve our brothers and sisters with compassion, respect, and the conviction that
every human life possesses inherent dignity and deserves to be treated with care.
The Catholic tradition teaches us that our responsibility to one another does not begin with where someone
was born, what language they speak, or the reasons that brought them to our community.
It begins with recognizing the dignity of the human person and our call to love our neighbor.
We may come from different countries, speak different languages, or have very different experiences, but
our shared humanity is greater than our differences. A migrant or a refugee is not simply someone who
needs assistance; she is a person with gifts, hopes, talents, and a future to contribute to our communities.
As Catholics, we will continue to stand with those who are seeking safety, rebuilding their lives, and working
toward a future filled with hope and opportunity. We do so not because of politics, but because of who we
are and what our faith calls us to be.
Every person matters.
Every story matters.
Every human life has dignity.
J. Antonio Fernández
Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Charities of New York
C. Mario Russell
Executive Director
Center for Migration Studies
