Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

People on the Move

N° 108, December 2008

International Students in North America

and Pastoral Care*

Archbishop Agostino MARCHETTO

Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

1. Introduction

I am delighted to be with you this morning and thank you for your invitation to be able to share with you once again some thoughts on the milieu of foreign students and pastoral care. In these days you will have been ‘rediscovering your roots’ with regard to Catholic education, so I would like to begin with these words:

“If I were asked to describe as briefly and popularly as I could, what a University was, I should draw my answer from its ancient designation of a Studium Generale, or "School of Universal Learning." This description implies the assemblage of strangers from all parts in one spot; - from all parts; else, how will you find professors and students for every department of knowledge? and in one spot; else, how can there be any school at all? Accordingly, in its simple and rudimental form, it is a school of knowledge of every kind, consisting of teachers and learners from every quarter. Many things are requisite to complete and satisfy the idea embodied in this description; but such as this a University seems to be in its essence, a place for the communication and circulation of thought, by means of personal intercourse, through a wide extent of country.”[1]

This description comes from John Henry Cardinal Newman, at the beginning of an essay of his from 1854, entitled ‘What is a  University?Â’. Here he paints a picture of a University which is the gathering together of both students and teachers, the sharing different disciplines and cultures, yet one united through a common bond of learning. Newman would have known well the models of university culture that were expressed in medieval Europe, though his own personal experience at Oxford would have been a particularly English one, locked as it still was then into an admissions policy that only included Anglicans. NewmanÂ’s image both expressed here and in his larger volume “The idea of a University” is therefore peculiarly visionary and he would have delighted at the internationalisation of many of our great Universities, especially those in the United States of America, which is today so much “a sign of the times”,[2] and “a challenge to be discovered and utilised in our work to renew humanity and proclaim the gospel of peace”.[3] 

2. The current situation in the USA

Those of you who work closely in the context of international students will know well the extraordinary revolution, if I may call it such, that has taken place in American higher education over the last half century with regard to Academic mobility. From nearly 50,000 international students in 1960, your numbers have now risen to over half a million, a large proportion of which come from India and the Far East. The strength of your education system continues to be exceptionally attractive to students throughout the world. With over 4,000 public and private colleges, university and community colleges, you are aptly placed in the vanguard of not only receiving international students, but also in their continued pastoral care. You also in the United States have a long tradition of welcoming people from other shores. Pope Benedict XVI emphasised this very clearly during his recent pastoral visit when he said:

“I want to encourage you and your communities to continue to welcome immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home. This indeed is what your fellow countrymen have done for generations.”[4]

I am sure these words are now very familiar to you. They express above all your generosity and your aspirations, as far as welcoming migrant people. I am sure that this also applies for those who are foreign students.

Let me say a word that is pertinent to America itself. You have a  rich history of Christian life, of saints and indeed martyrs. These are signs of great holiness. There is much fertile soil for the proclamation of the Gospel, though I am sure you will recognise that it is also field where ‘some seed falls on rocky groundÂ’. The country to which you invite young students is indeed a complex reality. This was recognised by John Paul II when he said:

“The greatest gift which America has received from the Lord is the faith which has forged its Christian identity. For more than five hundred years the name of Christ has been proclaimed on the continent. The evangelization which accompanied the European migrations has shaped America's religious profile, marked by moral values which, though they are not always consistently practiced and at times are cast into doubt, are in a sense the heritage of all Americans, even of those who do not explicitly recognize this fact. Clearly, America's Christian identity is not synonymous with Catholic identity. The presence of other Christian communities, to a greater or lesser degree in the different parts of America, means that the ecumenical commitment to seek unity among all those who believe in Christ is especially urgent.”[5]

For International Students, especially those from poorer countries and the developing world,  the ‘freedomsÂ’, ‘choicesÂ’ and ‘wealthÂ’ that have grown over many years in the United States can sometimes be at times both enriching and invigorating, yet also confusing and challenging especially to the foundations of both their cultural and religious identity.  

3. A pastoral imperative

The pastoral care which you offer in your Universities and institutions of higher education is of the utmost importance in guiding to maturity, the faith of those who are young and are searching not only for the meaning to life, but also to bring that meaning to fullness in Jesus Christ. The pastoral care of those who are foreign or international students cannot remain on the side in world where the sirens of relativism and subjectivism are strong. Young men and women come to your land with great trust and hope. Indeed they are great signs of hope. Pope Benedict recently reminded us that

“For young Christians, this study and formation experience can be a useful area for the maturation of their faith, a stimulus to be open to the universalism that is a constitutive element of the Catholic Church.”[6]

You who are formators, those who are associated with universities, and in particular with Campus Ministry are at the forefront of real opportunities, for those who come to your shores for study, for the future of their own home countries, and for the enrichment of your own land. These young migrants have need of you if they are to be protagonists “of a world where solidarity, justice and peace will reign”[7] and if they are to profit from their “studies to grow in knowledge and love of Christ”.[8] Experience also shows that foreign students are truly ‘people on the move’ and that they bring with them new expectations, needs and challenges which are always needing new responses.

In speaking to you today about the dimension of pastoral care for International students in the USA, I do not wish to tell you what you know already. You will inevitably know many situations better than I. Many of you may well be involved with these students on a  day to day level. You will know their stories and histories and have shared in their anxieties, joys and sorrows. However, I would like to share with you some basic principles, that can guide you and your institutions in this field of pastoral care. 

4. Gift or commodity?

Any approach to the care of foreign students must begin with an understanding of the motives that lie behind the recruitment of students from the international arena. I would like to reflect for a moment as to why so many choose to come to your country, making it the foremost destination for students in the world.  What is it that is so attracts them and what lies behind the extensive drive at their recruitment? The way in which an international student is considered and valued will dramatically effect the way in which he or she is both received and welcomed during their stay in the chosen country of study.

Clearly the high standard of education received in the United States is considered a worthwhile investment. That coupled together with the enrichment of language, culture and learning assures many the prospects of a better future. For your own country, the economy benefits by nearly four and a half billion dollars per annum. This is a  huge financial contribution that cannot go unnoticed. Many of those who come to your shores are some of the brightest minds of their generation. Your institutions assure them of intellectual improvement and advancement, often one which cannot be achieved in their own country. Even so, many of those who can afford to come, do so because they come from a strata in their society that has the financial means. Many others are indeed ‘head huntedÂ’, often through the generous offers of scholarships and funding, a policy that unfortunately “reinforces the well-known effect of the ‘brain drainÂ’, leading to the ‘diasporaÂ’ of intellectuals which is one of the causes that perpetuates the monstrous injustice, the gaping abyss, that exists between the North and South of the world.”.[9] It is claimed that more than one-third of Nobel laureates from the United States are immigrants and there are sixty-two patent applications for every one hundred foreign doctoral graduates in science and engineering programmes.[10] 

Despite this, the USA does not have a complete monopoly on the international student marketplace. Aggressive recruitment efforts by other English speaking countries, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and other States, such as France and Germany, who have begun offering courses in English, has put pressure on the numbers of the international enrolment. Indeed, International Students have become part of a competitive market

An interesting question was posed by NAFSA in 2003, when just after the attacks of 9/11 and the tightening on visa applications created a slump in the international student numbers, whether it was important or not to continue for the USA to remain vigorously open to the international student ‘market’. The answer given lay in the benefits that could be found in three distinct areas: foreign policy, education and the economy.[11] Another report three years later added a further area, that of security.[12] Whilst these distinctions are only the opinion of one particular group involved with American Higher Education and international students, they unfortunately betray a genuine weakness pervading the recruitment mentality.

There is  clear responsibility laid upon institutions attracting the best and the brightest of international students in forming these young men and women to return eventually to their country of origin.  Their prospects are inextricably linked with future history as they hold one of the major keys to the development of their own lands, which are at the same time material, academic, social, and spiritual.[13]  This is clearly a grave responsibility laid upon their shoulders.  It was clearly in the mind of Pope Benedict XVI when he said: “Moreover, for many young people the possibility of studying abroad is a unique opportunity is become better able to contribute to the development of their own countries and participate actively in the ChurchÂ’s mission”.[14] The Instruction Erga migrantes caritas Christi, which is the framework guiding our Pontifical Council as it seeks to support pastoral care in the different areas of human mobility, speaks clearly of this commitment when it attests:

“migration raises a truly ethical question: the search for a new international economic order for a more equitable distribution of the goods of the earth. This would make a real contribution to reducing and checking the flow of a large number of migrants from populations in difficulty. From this there follows the need for a more effective commitment to educational and pastoral systems that form people in a “global dimension”, that is, a new vision of the world community, considered as a family of peoples, for whom the goods of the earth are ultimately destined when things are seen from the perspective of the universal common good.”[15]

Specifically, in the academic sphere, another document, published jointly by the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for Culture in 1994, envisages mutual cooperation, support and growth, whilst at the same time offering a word of caution:

“Inter-university and international cooperation shows real progress. The more developed academic centres can help the less advanced; this is at times, but not always, to the advantage of the latter. The major Universities can, indeed, exercise a certain technical, and even ideological ‘domination’ beyond their national frontiers, to the detriment of the less favoured countries.”[16]

Pope Benedict, speaking this year in his message for the 94^th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, chose to reflect on the role of young migrants. In doing so he reserved a particular section to speak about the phenomenon of international students, as a particular category of these young migrants. He simply said: “The Church needs you too and is counting on your contribution”.[17] Indeed many international students have been given a new form of wealth gained through the opportunity of education, knowledge and experience, both material and spiritual, and can therefore be part of that  contributory path to development and change in their countries of origin. This  viewpoint is very much in accord with Catholic social teaching. Mindful that education is itself a form of wealth, and often a means to both material and spiritual wealth, Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical Polulorum Progressio starkly reminds us:

“We must repeat that the superfluous goods of wealthier nations ought to be placed at the disposal of poorer nations. The rule, by virtue of which in times past those nearest us were to be helped in time of need, applies today to all the needy throughout the world. And the prospering peoples will be the first to benefit from this… If prosperous nations continue to be jealous of their own advantage alone, they will jeopardize their highest values, sacrificing the pursuit of excellence to the acquisition of possessions. ”[18]

Pope John Paul II also develops this understanding when he says:

“Looking after the common good means making use of the new opportunities for the redistribution of wealth among the different areas of the planet, to the benefit of the underprivileged that until now have been excluded or cast to the sidelines of social and economic progress”.[19]

All this is clearly in step with your own understanding at ACCU when you define the essence of “Catholic commitment” under these three headings: The Common Good of the world; Being attentive to the least advantaged; Bringing knowledge and skills to better the human condition of all.

In the major academic Institutions, there is a clear natural desire for the pursuit of academic excellence. This has always been the mainstay of any university culture, and international students clearly bring a unique and major contribution in this respect.  Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the field of scientific research. The pooling together of great minds and resources is the means to achieving  ever more far reaching standards and results, often for the greater good of the whole human family. Despite this, host institutions need to be constantly aware that the experience and knowledge that they impart should also be able to flourish elsewhere.

International students themselves can often be caught up in their new culture and environment and seek to become permanent migrants, either in the field of academia, or in occupations stemming from their field of study. The desire for higher standards of living, for greater wealth  have always had a strong attraction. Therefore “It is hard for them to think about going home after they have experienced their ‘new freedoms, new technology and new opportunities. The political and economic instability of their countries often affect this decision.”[20] Nevertheless, they need also to be aware of the responsibility towards their own countries and the contribution that they themselves may be able to make. 

This understanding of ‘mutual donationÂ’, in relation to the students one to another, to the students and their academic studies and the students and their country of origin, is vitally important because it lies at the heart of a proper catholic understanding and approach to the pastoral care of international students. Any attitude that treats them as mere commodities should be carefully avoided. It should be remembered that” students are human persons who need to be respected as such”.[21]    

5. Erga migrantes charitas Christi: A framework for a specific pastoral care

I would like now to turn specifically to the pastoral care of foreign students and to reflect on some of the themes present in our Instruction Erga migrantes caritas Christi, guided by the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.[22] In fact it envisages distinct areas for the exercise of a specific pastoral care with those who are migrants, in whatever capacity. They are: Communion, Mission and Being the People and family of God, mystery, sacrament, Mystical Body and Temple of the Spirit.  So directed by these distinct headings I would now like to explore the themes that should underpin any pastoral care for International Students.

6. “And who is my neighbour?”

But first of all we need to come to an understanding, from a specifically Christian view point, of who and what  constitutes an international student. For

“The ‘foreigner’ is God’s messenger who surprises us and interrupts the regularity and logic of daily life, bringing near those who are far away. In ‘foreigners’ the Church sees Christ who “pitches His tent among us” (cf. Jn 1:14) and who ‘knocks at our door’ (cf. Ap 3:20).”[23]

So in what guise do we find these “foreigners” in our midst within the student community? They broadly find themselves in three categories. Some of these I alluded to earlier, but we would do well  to be clear that international students are not a monochrome or homogenous group. The first group, are what we call ‘free-moversÂ’, these are self financed, and sometimes are even more wealthy than home students. Some are also financed by business or government.  They are culturally connected and often show a  greater degree of stability. A second group are those who have been offered academic incentives, in particular scholarships. Amongst this group could be put the many exchange and year abroad students. Lastly there are refugees or economic migrants. Sometimes these are illegal or transient and can produce the most pastoral needs. Of all these groups, those from this last one find it most difficult to move into opportunities offered within higher education.

7. Pastoral Care: a generous provision

I am aware that throughout the Institutions that offer education to international students there are pastoral structures, other than those offered by the Church that help to welcome, support and nurture students whilst in their host country. Many of these offer excellent services and work closely with other religious bodies both on and off campus. Many are highly professional, and are the backbone behind the success, going back over many years, of the history of the American international relationship within higher education. But this morning I have to speak about that pastoral care that relates specifically to the ecclesial field, that rightly belongs to what you call “Campus ministry”, or to the local parish or organisation entrusted with the general pastoral care of the university or school.

8. Communion, Mission and Being the People and Family of God, Mystery, Sacrament, Mystical Body and Temple of the Spirit.

Let us progress to the specific areas of pastoral commitment for the Church in the context of higher education, as I said: Communion, Mission and Being the People and family of God, mystery, sacrament, Mystical Body and Temple of the Spirit. It is clear that all are inextricably entwined, one with another, yet despite this they can still provide a basic framework, in conjunction with our Instruction Erga Migrantes for our reflection which is at the same both human and ecclesial in this specific pastoral area.

(I). Communion

Our Instruction reminds us that “foreigners are also a visible sign and an effective reminder of that universality which is a constituent element of the Catholic Church”.[24] For,

“The Church, sacrament of unity, overcomes ideological or racial barriers and divisions and proclaims to all people and all cultures the need to strive for the truth in the perspective of correctly facing differences by dialogue and mutual acceptance. Different cultural identities are thus to open up to a universal way of understanding, not abandoning their own positive elements but putting them at the service of the whole of humanity. While this logic engages every particular Church, it highlights and reveals that unity in diversity that is contemplated in the Trinity, which, for its part, refers the communion of all to the fullness of the personal life of each one. The cultural situation today, global and dynamic as it is, calls for the incarnation of the one faith in many cultures and thus represents an unprecedented challenge, a true kairòs for the whole People of God.”[25]

This is especially true of those who are young and who may, for the first time, be experiencing the  breadth of what it means to live in communion through multicultural encounter, for “coming from different cultures, but all united by belonging to the one church of Christ”[26] they are able  to “show that the Gospel is alive and suited to every situation; it is an old and ever new message. It is a word of hope and salvation for the people of all races and cultures, of all ages and eras”.[27] The formation by pastors of communities that effectively celebrate both diversity and unity is at the heart of any pastoral commitment towards international students. Pope John Paul IIÂ’s Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, whilst expressing itself specifically to Catholic universities tells us something important about the nature of such direction in that “The source of its unity springs from a common dedication to the truth, a common vision of the dignity of the human person and, ultimately, the person and message of Christ”.[28] Erga Migrantes speaks of this as ‘integrated pastoral careÂ’ and is to be “understood above all as communion that knows how to appreciate belonging to different cultures and peoples. This is in response to the FatherÂ’s plan of love, who in building His Kingdom of peace – through Christ, with Christ and in Christ – by the power of the Spirit, interweaves the historical, complex and often contradictory vicissitudes of humanity (cf. NMI 43).”[29]

It is in this sphere that we can also begin to talk about “integrated formation”, making the assumption that all pastoral care has as its chief aim the critical formation of every student. 

(II). Catholicity

A respect for the legitimate and cultural diversity, both on the part of international students and their receiving counterparts, is a sign not just of their communion one with another, but also of that Catholicity which is a constituent mark of the Church. It is a clear reminder that “In the mind of the Lord the Church is universal by vocation and mission, but when she puts down her roots in a variety of cultural, social and human terrains, she takes on different external expressions and appearances in each part of the world.”[30] The fostering of a community that expresses communion, is none other than a deep expression of what the Church is in herself, Catholic. Erga Migrantes makes this observation: “the ChurchÂ… is  catholic Â…in its openness to diversity that is to be harmonised.”[31]

(III). Welcome and solidarity

One of the ways in which the Church’s Communion and Catholicity is manifested within the context of pastoral care, especially within the perspective of Campus Ministry, is through Welcome and Solidarity. Once again Erga Migrantes reminds us that “Christians must in fact promote an authentic culture of welcome capable of accepting the truly human values of the immigrants over and above any difficulties caused by living together with persons who are different”.[32] In the welcome that she gives, especially to those who are far from their homeland, the host Christian community enriches herself both culturally and spiritually, as St Paul reminds us: “Welcome one another then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God”.[33] The Instruction advises us too as to the extent of this welcome:

“In welcoming migrants it is of course useful and correct to distinguish between assistance in a general sense (a first, short-term welcome), true welcome in the full sense (longer-term projects) and integration (an aim to be pursued constantly over a long period and in the true sense of the word).”[34]

Of course this last aspect for foreign students must be considered in the context that their migration in general is temporary.

Fostering a culture of welcome is a the sign of solidarity of the host country, institution, and ecclesial community not only towards those who are new arrivals at University, but in particular to those who do not share in the same national and cultural identity. An authentic Campus Ministry is one that expresses such solidarity which “is not merely a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people but a moral value directed toward the common good in specific situations”.[35] Moreover, it is the means by which the other truly becomes my brother or sister. Nor is it something that is purely momentary, for a true culture of welcome is one sustained throughout their period of study. Solidarity means entering into, not merely in a superficial manner , but totally into the reality of the students needs. Some of these may be human, others spiritual, others temporal. It is “a pedagogy of personal guidance: welcome, availability and friendship, interpersonal relationships, discernment of the circumstances in which students are living and concrete means for their improvement”[36]. Genuine welcome is interested in the whole person, joys and sorrows, successes and failures.

Solidarity involves a whole set of responses to particular situations that International students often find themselves encountering.  Visiting students in the USA  face a whole series of difficulties that are common to others throughout the world ranging from the practical to the personal, spiritual emotional. Financial needs often loom high on the agenda, coupled with those of accommodation. Particularly prevalent in the USA are problems with Visa applications which often entails late entry and the postponement of studies. More personal problems are those of culture shock and secularization, which can bring about a  weakening or loss of faith. Others are homesick and face a ‘double-estrangementÂ’, both from home and also from their adopted country for study. Others face problems with language and communication in a culture very different from that to which they are used. Pastors need to be aware of these problems and patterns of behaviour that betray the onset or the reality of personal activity that may be damaging an individual. International students should also be encouraged to form their own responses in solidarity one with another. Another issue that is particularly pertinent to Catholic students in the USA is that they can be singled out as an easy target for conversion to other denominations or religions. Insecurity in the faith, coupled with a period of personal insecurity, may make a person more susceptible to aggressive proselytism. This is particular worrying from those groups that are categorised as sects, which can only serve to distance and alienate a foreign student further from his or her roots and other points of stability.

A word here should go to a special, and often forgotten category of international student, those who are married.  They face their own set of problems and challenges as they try to settle into their host country either with or without their spouse and children. A specific pastoral care should always be given in this direction to support and preserve the marital bond and family unit. Married students can often face deep estrangement if they come to study separated from their family.  Others who come accompanied are often faced with issues relating to unrealistic financial expectations, accommodation, schooling and language. Special attention needs to be paid to children and their nurture, both human and spiritual.  

(IV). Dialogue

Living in ‘Communion’ also entails living within an intercultural dialogue. This is a necessary and healthy consequence of diversity. For

“The dialogical character of the Church is rooted in her very nature as communion.  Communion implies communication.  It firstly means communion and communication with God through Jesus Christ within the Holy Spirit; and, secondly, communion and communication among Christians themselves through word, sacraments and diaconia or service, but also through communication, information, prayer, exchange, co-operation, living together, mutual visits, friendship, celebrating and worshipping together, witnessing together and suffering together.”[37]. 

International students, host students, professors and academics, Christians of other ecclesial bodies, non-Christians and the secular world are all starting points for dialogue in the University culture.  Yet international students can clearly bring their own dimension to these encounters. Student pastoral care should always encourage such dialogue. It can take many forms, from mere friendships, to religious or academic encounter, to works in accordance with the social doctrine of the Church. It can take place on a human, cultural and spiritual level. Erga migrantes envisages pastoral care among international students to open up itself to this fruit:

“Because it is dialogue, communion and mission, specific pastoral care for, among and with migrants will then become a significant expression of the Church, called to be a fraternal and peaceful meeting place, a home for all, a building sustained by the four pillars referred to by Blessed Pope John XXIII in Pacem in Terris, namely, truth and justice, love and freedom, the fruit of that paschal event that in Christ has reconciled everything and everybody. Thus the Church will manifest clearly that it is a home and school of communion (cf. NMI 43) accepted and shared, of reconciliation requested and given, of mutual, fraternal welcome and of authentic human and Christian development. In this way, ‘ever more affirmed [is the knowledge of] the innate universality of the Church’s organisation, in which no one can be considered a stranger or just a guest, or in any way on the fringe of things’”.[38]

Our Instruction also calls for both an ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue within the pastoral care in favour of migrant communities.  Especially it encourages “living ecumenical fraternity in practical day-to-day life and of achieving greater reciprocal understanding between Churches and ecclesial Communities”[39]. In the case of those who are non-christians there is a clear call to be “..concerned with their human development and with the witness of Christian charity, which itself has an evangelising value that may open hearts for the explicit proclamation of the gospel when this is done with due Christian prudence and full respect for the freedom of the other. In any case the migrant of another religion should be helped insofar as possible to preserve a transcendent view of life.”[40]

In order for this to be productive, within the context of a higher education institution, there needs to be a  programme that provides some form of clear preparation for “The ordinary Catholic faithful and pastoral workers in local Churches should receive solid formation and information on other religions so as to overcome prejudices, prevail over religious relativism and avoid unjustified suspicions and fears that hamper dialogue and erect barriers, even provoking violence or misunderstanding.”[41]

This is also true of the students and even members of the academic staff, particularly those who associate themselves closely with the life of the Campus Ministry. The rich tapestry of religious belief that has developed under freedom in the USA may provide a safe and fruitful environment for these different levels of engagement in dialogue. 

(V). Mission - Encountering the person of Jesus Christ

The nurturing and formation of those who live Communio lies at the very core of Campus Ministry, and is integral to any approach to pastoral care. True communion, with its many facets and  expressions of human diversity, and enriched by dialogue has at its heart the person of Jesus Christ. This is not just another concept, but an encounter that needs to be lived and breathed every day, indeed it is a deeply personal one.  Pastors should continually ensure that students in their care drink and be fed at the well-springs of the sacramental life and are  nurtured on prayer and the Word of God. The Sacraments, especially the Eucharist becomes truly a feast for all people when celebrated in the context of International students. It calls to mind that wonderful passage from the Letter to the Hebrews: “But what you have come to is mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where millions of angels have gathered for the festival with the whole Church of first-born sons, enrolled as citizens of heaven.” (Heb 12:22)

The celebration of the Eucharist thus becomes a true expression of both Communion and Catholicity. For the many who are far from home this can bring familiarity and stability.  It is rooted in their faith journey and the story of their life. It is an important point of dependability in an otherwise changing environment, and “it is a fundamental link with their Church of origin and with their ways of understanding and living the faith.”[42] However, regional and cultural differences can be alienating. Pastors need to be attentive to the legitimate richness of liturgical and spiritual diversity made present by the involvement of International student communities. It is important that “liturgical celebrations become a living expression of communities of believers who walk hic et nunc on the ways of salvation.”[43] Other forms of popular local or regional piety can be expressed and encouraged and can be mutual enriching.

Pope Benedict, speaking again in the USA  to professors, teachers and educators, makes a close link between education, and in particular Catholic education, and spiritual growth:

“Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth (cf. Spe Salvi, 4). This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and his teaching. In this way those who meet him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good, and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened within the community of our Lord’s disciples, the Church.”[44]

In many ways, for the international student, this divine encounter becomes the pivotal point of both reference and discovery, of what is stable in an otherwise changing environment.

A University pastoral programme that is missionary in character will have a ‘Eucharistic heartÂ’, for it is here that the person of Jesus Christ, he who is ‘the Way, the Truth and the LifeÂ’, is met and shared.  We are reminded that

“An encounter with the Lord brings about a profound transformation in all who do not close themselves off from him. The first impulse coming from this transformation is to communicate to others the richness discovered in the experience of the encounter. This does not mean simply teaching what we have come to know but also, like the Samaritan woman, enabling others to encounter Jesus personally: “Come and see” (Jn 4:29)”[45] 

(VI). Mission - Sharing in the person of Jesus Christ

From this first point of contact, a community becomes missionary both internally and externally. Most of all an “evangelizing zeal must spring from true holiness of life”[46] International students are called to join with those of their host country in being both signs and ministers of the gospel, for “young people who are well trained in faith and prayer must become more and more the apostles of youth. The Church counts greatly on their contribution.”[47]

A rich cultural experience can enable not just an internal reflection, both in the individual and Christian community, but also one in a wider perspective, and in particular within the context of the academic institution. An experience of dialogue and communion, supported by welcome and solidarity, nourished by the spiritual resources mediated through the Church should lead to an inevitable Pentecostal experience, because

“The Church has been catholic and missionary from her birth. The universality of salvation is meaningfully manifested with the list of the numerous ethnic groups to which those who heard the Apostles' first proclamation belonged (cf. Acts 2: 9-11).  But in him multiplicity and unity go hand in hand. He breathes where he wills. He does so unexpectedly, in unexpected places and in ways previously unheard of. And with what diversity and corporality does he do so! And it is precisely here that diversity and unity are inseparable.”[48]

The presence of international students is an intense reminder of the variety of works of the Spirit, which extends to all people and places.  International students are able to open up student communities to new ways of expressing the same truth, which is “Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever!” (Heb.13:8). Pope John Paul II reminded us of this when he said:

“In the Third Millennium, Christianity will have to respond ever more effectively to this need for inculturation. Christianity, while remaining completely true to itself, with unswerving fidelity to the proclamation of the Gospel and the tradition of the Church, will also reflect the different faces of the cultures and peoples in which it is received and takes root.”[49]

In turn this has the possibilities of bringing not only a  new dimension but also a  new vibrancy to the mission of evangelisation which belongs to each campus community, indeed to each of the baptised.

Pastoral programmes need to be in place that value the contribution of international students in the role of evangelism.  In this way chaplaincies and campus ministries become not only laboratories of faith but also schools of the universality of the Gospel. 

(VII). Being the people and family of God

The Church through its experience of communion and its missionary activity becomes more and more orientated to that final assembly when all will be united in the vision of the Triune God. In particular, the migrant student offers “the Church the opportunity to realize more concretely its identity as communion and its missionary vocation”[50] and in doing so can become more a prophetic sign to the world. You, in the USA, are uniquely privileged to lead the way. You have vast resources at your disposal: academic, cultural, financial, personal and spiritual. I believe that you have a  vocation  to lead the way, to develop different legitimate models of communion, solidarity, welcome and mission. In doing so you will enrich the people of God, enabling them to become more the Sacrament of the   Church which lies at the heart of Christian vocation.

In a climate that has seen increasing xenophobia, with the onset of global terrorism and increasing instability in various parts of the world, young people, and in particular students, can become a  prophetic sign that leads to peace and reconciliation. For the Church to become more of a chosen people, a royal priesthood a holy nation, it must increasingly break down barriers that lead to prejudice and mistrust. In this way, ministry that involves international students becomes an essential element for global renewal and  understanding.  Pope John Paul II reminded us of this when he said:

“In the end, peace is not essentially about structures but about people. ..Gestures of peace spring from the lives of people who foster peace first of all in their own hearts. They are the work of the heart and of reason in those who are peacemakers (cf. Mt 5:9). Gestures of peace are possible when people appreciate fully the community dimension of their lives, so that they grasp the meaning and consequences of events in their own communities and in the world. Gestures of peace create a tradition and a culture of peace.”[51]

Conclusion

“ I was a stranger and you made me welcome” (Matt. 25:35). At the heart of the call of the gospel is the challenge to make the foreigner welcome in our midst. As Abraham welcomed the three strangers at Mamre (cf. Gen 18:1-5)  he was able to experience a foreshadowing of the life of the Trinity. So too in the welcome we give, in particular to our international students, we experience something of the face of God. As we accompany young men and women through this formative part of life, is vital that the Church accompanies them with love and solicitude, supporting, sustaining an encouraging them whenever possible. Their history is our history, as they will come to play their part in not only shaping the world, but also bringing about the kingdom. 

Your forebears came seeking a  land where there was peace and freedom. They themselves were migrants, often fleeing oppression, poverty and hunger. They found hospitality and welcome, and new life. These are your noble foundations. In the care and nurture you give to those who are International Students in your midst, you are doing none other than “rediscovering your roots”, but not only that, for in doing so you are able, I pray, for those roots to grow and flourish, in  continuing to open your land, your resources and your hearts to these young.

Later in this month the Church will set out on a  year dedicated to St Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles. As we are on the threshold of this year of grace, maybe a last word should go to him, who knew so well what it was not only to welcome but to be welcomed in the name of Christ.

“So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are fellow citizens with the holy people of God and part of GodÂ’s household. You are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus is himself the corner stone.  Every structure knit together in him grows into a holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built up into a dwelling-place of god in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22).

Thank you!