Catholic Church to fete OFWs on Natl Migrants Sunday Feb. 26

The Catholic Church will fete overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on February 26, the 26th National Migrants' Sunday. According to a news release on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, the CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People will hold a special ceremony at the Mariners’ Court at Pier One in Cebu City at 8:00 a.m.   "With the theme 'Migration and the New Evangelization,' the celebration invites everyone to reflect, pray and do something for the situation of those negatively affected by migration, particularly the overseas Filipinos and their families," the CBCP said. The organizer of the ceremony for National Migrants’ Sunday is the Archdiocese of Cebu. "Although the main celebration will be in Cebu City, various dioceses in the country are also commemorating the event by holding several activities," the CBCP said. National Migrants' Sunday   National Migrants’ Sunday is a yearly event that recognizes the heroism of OFWs and their families.   The Manila Archdiocese started the event in 1986, and has celebrated it annually on the first Sunday of Lent.   OFWs have been dubbed as “modern-day heroes” for keeping the Philippine economy afloat by sending billions of pesos in remittances annually.   The CBCP quoted Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants, as saying migrants are considered as “Bearers of Hope.”   ECMI executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros said Filipino migrants can be bearers of hope if they have kept their faith.   He said Filipino migrants, especially those who are in Europe, are seen as new evangelizers. - VVP, GMA News