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Australia |
From the very beginning (1952) the Scalabrinians in Australia approached the care of migrants as a specific care, but from within the structures of the local
Church. While providing pastoral care to people in territorial parishes, they went beyond the parish boundaries to seek and reach out to migrants, particularly through itinerant missions in various parts of the country. Eventually the ministry became ever more specific and qualified, with mission houses and centres for the migrants, the lay apostolate, as for example through the Italian Catholic Federation, apostleship of the sea, villages for the aged, radio programs, media and study centres and, more recently, a specific formation for Lay Scalabrinians. Sensitivity to the change of immigration flows elicited attention to the needs of the Spanish-speaking migrants and later to Filipinos and Portuguese speaking. Likewise, the presence of Sudanese refugees moved the local Church, confident of the peculiar experience of the Scalabrinians, to ask them to attend to the various needs of these refugees. Involvement in offices of the Church facilitated the action for an increased awareness and openness of the Church toward migrants.
Structures
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Multicultural Parishes
The Scalabrinian Missionaries minister in the following multicultural parishes: St. Kevin’s, Dee Why, Sydney - NSW with ministry to Italians and Filipinos; St. Therese’s, Mascot, Sydney - NSW with ministry to Italians, Filipinos and Latin Americans; St. Brigid’s, North Fitzroy, Melbourne - Vic with ministry to Italians, Filipinos and Latin Americans and Brazilians; St. Luke’s, Lalor, Melbourne - Vic with ministry to Italians, Filipinos and other Nationalities like Maltese, for example, populating the parish; Mater Christi’s, Seaton, Adelaide - SA with ministry to Italians, Filipinos and Latin Americans. |
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Ethnic Chaplaincies
The Scalabrinian Missionaries also minister in some ethnic chaplaincies: International Centre - Wollongong - NSW: ministering to Italians; the facility is used also by the German Community with its appointed chaplain; Scalabrinian Mission House - Liverpool - NSW: ministering to Italians and Latin Americans; Scalabrinian Community Lutwyche - Brisbane, QLD: ministering to Italians, Latin Americans and Sudanese Refugees; Melburne: Spanish, Filipino and Portuguese Chaplaincies; Adelaide: Filipino and Spanish Chaplaincies. |
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House for Aged Migrants
Scalabrini Village Limited began in 1969 when the Scalabrini Fathers and a group of Sydney businessmen formed a committee to erect a retirement village for aged Italian migrants. At the present time there are 6 villages in NSW and 1 in VIC providing care for a total of over 700 residents. Half of these are accommodated in Nursing Homes, while the rest either in Hostels or in Self Care Units. Scalabrini is privileged in having over 200 dedicated volunteers contributing in a network of support activities. They are an integral part of what we refer to as the “Scalabrini Family” and includes all Board members. |
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Italian Catholic Federation
The Federazione Cattolica Italiana (FCI) has been active since 1960. It is made up of 20 sections in four states of Australia and administered by a Central Committee. It has 840 members who are practically all of Italian Origin. The federation promotes the religious, social and cultural well-being of migrants. This group has a strong working relationship with the Scalabrinian missionaries both at home and abroad. The FCI, which in its early days focused only on Italian migrants, has of recent times looked beyond its own community and assisted migrants of other backgrounds. |
On-going projects
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Philippines |
In the Philippines the Church has sought to respond to the appeals of the mass emigration of nationals since the 1960s but a real and authentic adoption of a stance at a pastoral level was only engaged in with the arrival of the Scalabrinian Missionaries in Manila and the creation of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) in 1982. The first three Scalabrinians arrived in the Philippines from Australia and England in 1982. There are now eleven missionaries ministering to migrants and migrant families and training new missionaries in Manila and Cebu. The missionaries are cooperating with the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines in the development of the
Structures
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Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC)
The Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) was established in Manila, the Philippines in 1987. The center was established to promote the interdisciplinary study of migration-related issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The center, thus, has been conducting and managing migration research since its inception. It has handled not only single-country research but also regional research projects (such as the 4-country study on unauthorized migration in Southeast Asia). In addition to research projects, SMC has designed, implemented and managed international conferences and training programs over the years. |
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Scalabrini Center for People on the Move (SCPM)
The Scalabrini Center for People on the Move (SCPM) is a non-stock, non-profit organization that serves and assists overseas workers, seafarers and refugees without discrimination to gender, race, ethnic background, religion or belief. Through donations and voluntary contributions of sponsors and friends, since 1993, the SCPM provides its residents with temporary shelter, preventive education, counseling and orientation, linkages and networking, legal aid and referrals, as well as religious services. |
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Stella Maris Center
In June 2005, the Apostleship of the Sea of the Archdiocese Manila, opened a very suitable and ample space in Manila for the pastoral assistance to seafarers. The dormitory facilities offer to seafarers 90 bed-spaces and two rooms for couples. In place are a DVD/Cable TV, computers with internet, games, gym facilities, and free cooked rice for their evening meal and breakfast. A completely renovated roof-deck was turned into a most relaxing “garden terrace”. |
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Scalabrini Lay Association (SLA)
The Scalabrinian Lay Association Inc (SLA) is a communion of Lay people that shares a common vision, and in partnership with the Scalabrinian Congregation that is committed to the human and spiritual promotion of would-be migrants, their families, and the people on the move. The SLA envisions a society where migration is a free-will decision of every individual, and that the self-respect, the human rights of persons, and the dignity of labours are protected and advanced from the pre-employment, during, up to the post-employment stages. |
On-going projects
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Exodus Formation Program
In order to help the volunteers and formators of Church-based organizations to respond effectively to the challenges
posed by modern migration, since 2001, the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC), in cooperation with the Episcopal Commission on the Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMI), has been organizing EXODUS, a week of formation program for agents of migrants’ empowerment. The program has already succeeded in training over 180 volunteers and formators coming from the Philippines and other countries in the last six years. |
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Abraham Formation Program
Abraham provides proper formation and training to young religious likely to be assigned to the migrant ministry in Asia. Inserted in the regular formation curriculum of young religious belonging to various congregations, the program offers to deepen the understanding of the care of migrants, from both a sociological and a theological perspective. Special attention is paid to the charismatic dimension of the different pastoral approaches. The formation program consists of three 20-hour courses, distributed in three semesters over three years (2006, 2007 and 2008). |
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Pre-Employment Orientation Seminars
Pre-employment Orientation Seminars (PEOS), undertaken by the Scalabrini Lay Association (SLA), is an education-information program offered to youth (i.e. college students), who in short time may become Filipino emigrants. SLA deliver six pilot PEOS in six selected educative institutions, assistance students in the definition of their future plans. In coordination and partnership with the respective school authorities, PEOS are given to students in colleges and special institutes (i.e. those providing care-giving and nursing courses). PEOS are considered part of the students’ extra-curricular requirement in the course or graduation. |
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Taiwan |
The Church in Taiwan began its work of helping foreign workers in the 1970s. In 1975 the Stella Maris International Seamen’s Center was created in Kaohsiung. The massive arrival of workers in the 1980s constituted a real pastoral challenge for the local bishops. The first two Scalabrinian missionaries arrived in Taiwan from the Philippines in 1994. There are now five missionaries, one associate priest and some lay people assisting migrants at different levels. In 2007, a local office of the International Migration Network (IMN) was established.
Structures
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Stella Maris International Service Centre (SMISC)
The Stella Maris International Service Center in Kaohsiung provides temporary shelter, counseling and paralegal/legal assistance to foreigners in distress, and verifies their living conditions trough regularly visits to factories, dormitories. The staff members pay regular visit to hospitals and detention centers/prisons to provide comfort support and advices. The center cooperates with other NGO’s and government offices to negotiate in behalf of migrant workers in distress on the matter of employment and salary.
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Migrant Workers’ Concerns Desk
Established in 1989, the Migrant Workers’ Concern Desk aims responding to all the migrant needs. The desk provides crisis intervention, directive legal counseling, lobbying, advocacy, assisting the migrants at the airport and repatriation assistance for the undocumented. In the following years, however, the Migrant Workers’ Concern Desk expanded its mission by coordinating pastoral programs for migrants in the Archdiocese of Taipei. It is under the auspices of the Commission for Social Development – Caritas Taiwan. The office coordinates with the Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People.
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International Migration Network (IMN) Taiwan Office
The IMN Taiwan Office is a Scalabrinian NGO based in St. Christopher Parish, Taipei. Established in 2007, it aims at lobbying and advocate for migrants' issues in Taiwan, providing leadership's training to migrant workers and advocates, monitoring the respect of migrants' rights, and promoting programs for a better integration of foreigners in the Taiwanese society in collaboration with other civil society organizations. |
On-going projects
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Many Churches,
One Concern (Conference)
The need to tighten the links
between the Church in the countries of origin (Thailand,
Indonesia, Philippines, Viet Nam and Mongolia) and the Church in
Taiwan was the main reason, which led the Scalabrinian
Missionaries to organize of a conference with representatives of
both sides in March 2007. Such event would be critical to plan a
more specific pastoral care and a collaborative advocacy and to
design coordinated service strategies. The participants would be
the Bishops in-charge of the migrant ministry in their
respective countries and the Executive Secretaries of the
Episcopal Commissions for the pastoral care of migrants and
itinerant people. |
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Globalization and
the Human Rights of Migrants (Conference)
Celebrating 15 years of international labor migration in Taiwan,
the IMN Taiwan Office and the Philippine Migrant Rights Watch
(PMRW)organize a conference titled, “Globalization and the Human
Rights of Migrants” in December 2007. This conference would
offer a suitable venue to promote a deeper and more documented
reflection on international labor migration in Taiwan and it
would raise public awareness about the human rights of the
migrants. |
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Japan |
The first two Scalabrinian missionaries arrived in Japan in 2003 from Australia and Brazil. There are now three missionaries ministering to Filipino, Brazilian and Latin American Migrants. In 2006, the Scalabrinian Missionaries took the position of “assistant director” of the Catholic Tokyo International Center (CTIC) main office in Tokyo and CTIC-Chiba branch. The latter is located in an area highly populated by Filipinos.
Structures
On-going projects
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