Rite & Reason: The life and work of Ireland's patron saint, Patrick, speaks both to our emigrants and our immigrants, writes Fr Michael Leonard
The Catholic Irish Bishops' Conference, along with priests, other religious and dedicated laity has worked for generations to improve the plight and quality of life for the Irish abroad. The bishops established a dedicated service in 1957 - the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants (IECE) - to help co-ordinate this assistance to those in need in the UK, US and Australia.
In February 2004 at the Irish Centre in Camden Town, Bishop Séamus Hegarty, chairman of the IECE, launched the Supporting Irish Abroad (SIA) awareness campaign. Its focus was on the Irish living in Britain, especially in London, but who emigrated in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, and are now at the greatest risk in terms of their physical and mental health.
The acronym SIA is also an Irish word meaning "longer" or "farther". The emigrant is one who often feels cut off from the familiar surroundings of home. Indeed, a major part of our biblical history focuses on God's people exiled from their home land.
Last year's SIA awareness campaign was supported by people across Ireland and it raised an impressive €614,068 for the Episcopal Commission for Emigrants. The money is being spent on outreach services in Britain for the elderly and isolated Irish, and on the recruitment and training of volunteers in the UK.
The 2005 SIA awareness campaign focuses attention on the "undocumented" young people in the United States who mostly left Ireland in the 1980s and '90s. While Ireland and America enjoy a special cultural relationship, we are acutely aware that there is a large number of disempowered young people in need of assistance.
How can you help? In this special week we should look to our patron saint for guidance. There is much we can learn in the Confessions of Patrick to inspire and challenge us as we reflect on his life and mission. Let's focus particularly on Patrick's experience as a forced immigrant.
Patrick's abduction to slavery in Ireland had a deep influence on his life and future ministry. His experience of slavery first hand, coupled with his acute awareness of his own weakness and the bondage of "the passions", led him to a truly profound understanding of and compassion for those on the margins.
Patrick had to overcome tremendous obstacles to regain his freedom and later to answer the call to return and bring the Good News to a savage and pagan land. Immigrants of the 21st century, at first sight, do not seem to encounter such enormous obstacles.
The truth is, however, that many are as vulnerable to exploitation as Patrick was. They are not slaves in the strict sense of the word; yet unscrupulous bosses often crush their dignity.
Because many of them are "illegal" they are forced to work longer hours for less wages and with none of the benefits which are available to other workers.
I meet these people regularly and they live in constant fear. Fear of having an accident (most have no health insurance), fear of being removed from the country (most of them are "undocumented"), and fear of having a prosecution (they have heard stories of people being detained and deported).
St Paul and Patrick's openness to "the gentiles" is a challenge to us, calling us to have a particular interest in those who are not a regular part of our coming together in church. Many of these people feel embarrassed to approach us because they are not practising. We need to remember that they too are invited to the banquet of the lamb.
Often we can be surprised at their openness to the gospel. I recently came across a homeless person who told me that though his life had been "a mess" for many years, he often visited a church, "for the peace and hope, which are hard to find on the streets".
Patrick also shows that his approach to women was very different from that of Augustine and other church fathers. He treated women with dignity and respect, which is their right; in the Confessions we read Patrick's account of "a blessed woman, Irish by birth, noble, extraordinarily beautiful - a true adult - whom I baptised".
Many women feel excluded from important decision-making positions in our church and we need to acknowledge their pain. We also need to give them the credit, which they are due, as people who nurture the faith in children and young people.
Finally, the example of Patrick presents Irish people today with a real challenge to overcome the attitudes of prejudice that are often shown to those who have come to our shores and who seek a place of refuge. Christ's command to love even our enemies is a call to exclude no one from our care. Because Patrick said "yes" to God's call, it transformed his life and if we similarly respond, our lives and the lives of those around us can be changed, enabling us to make a real difference in our communities.