Vancouver, Dec 15.– St. Mary the Virgin South Hill in Vancouver remembered migrants all over the world in its joint worship service with Migrante BC for International Migrants Day (Dec 18). It was also a service to pray especially for Mary Jane Veloso, the domestic worker imprisoned in Indonesia, who may be transferred to the Philippines before Christmas.
St. Mary the Virgin South Hill holds Mary Jane Veloso in its prayers and supports the campaign to bring her home. In the prayer for Mary Jane Veloso, the congregation prayed: “May your hand be upon Mary Jane, providing her with strength, comfort, and peace during this time of uncertainty. We ask for your protection over her and her family, and for the continued support of our community as we stand by her side. May your justice and mercy prevail, and may Mary Jane Veloso find solace in your loving embrace.”
In the prayers for International Migrants Day, the church prayed for “the refugee family seeking safety from violence, the migrant workers bringing food to our tables, the asylum seekers , seeking justice for their families, the unaccompanied children, traveling in a dangerous world.” Rev. Expedito Farinas reminded us that “We pray these things in the name of your Son who was himself born into the troubled life of a refugee.”
St. Mary the Virgin South Hill waits for the return home of Mary Jane Veloso.###
(Note: Mary Jane Veloso was returned to the Philippines under a transfer agreement between the Indonesian and Philippine governments last Dec.18, which coincided with the International Migrants Day. As of this writing, she remains detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, Philippines.)