Lampedusa USA to Host Facebook Prayer Vigil

Lampedusa, a small island off the coast of Italy, has become known as thousands of migrants arrive there on their way to Europe. Tragically, many do not make it to the island’s shores alive.

As a way of expressing his solidarity with and concern for migrants traveling to Europe, Pope Francis visited Lampedusa on July 8, 2013. It was during this visit that he coined the phrase ‘globalization of indifference,’ referring to the phenomenon that leads to and compounds migrant crises such as the one the world is currently experiencing.

Lampedusa USA is a Catholic organization created in response to Pope Francis’s call for all to welcome refugees and migrants to the best of their abilities. On July 8, 2016, the organization will be hosting a Facebook prayer vigil to commemorate the Holy Father’s visit to the island and to continue praying for the world’s migrants and refugees.

All are welcome to participate in the vigil, including individuals, congregations, organizations, and colleges or universities. We hope you will join us in prayer for the world’s migrants.

Action Steps Against Hunger

What are simple ways for college students to learn about world hunger and engage their campus community? See Catholics Confront Global Poverty’s four steps against hunger:

1. Use this prayer before mealtime.
2. Watch this video by Pope Francis on hunger.
3. Take to Social Media to bring more attention to this issue! Feel free to retweet and repost these messages from CRS:
   • Twitter: A meal makes a big difference. It encourages school enrollment, improves attentiveness & nourishes a child. #WFD2014
   • Twitter: The @USDA funded CRS #FoodForEducation programs are meeting simple needs, but are making a huge difference: http://bit.ly/1sg9I0E. #WFD2014
   • Facebook: A meal makes a big difference. It encourages school enrollment, improves attentiveness and nourishes a child. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funded CRS Food for Education programs are meeting this simple need in 6 countries and are making a big impact: http://bit.ly/1pjOXuB.
4. Raise Your Voice! Following Pope Francis’ call, we invite you to get ready to raise your voice on behalf of our brothers and sisters who struggle with hunger once Congress returns to DC following the mid-term elections. It’s likely that two pieces of legislation related to addressing hunger, Agriculture Appropriations and Feed the Future, will be taken up by Congress the week of November 10. Learn about these pieces legislation, and consider advocating for them.