The Archdiocese of Bangalore has opened a new migrant support center near Yeshwanthpur Railway Station, calling it a concrete expression of the Church’s mission to accompany people on the move.
The Pope Francis Migrant’s Center and Short Stay Home, launched with the Scalabrinian Missionaries, will provide temporary shelter, counseling, legal assistance, skills training, and emergency support for migrant families arriving in the city.
The center was inaugurated on Dec. 3 by Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, C.S., Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, Auxiliary Bishop Arokiaraj Sasi Kumar, and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Susainathan.
They blessed the building and unveiled the inauguration stone during a ceremony that included cultural performances highlighting the diversity of the communities the center will serve.
Cardinal Tomasi said the Church remains alive when it responds to people in need. “The Church is alive here and now whenever she bends down to care for migrants. Every act of welcome is a living Gospel,” he said.
He described the center as a refuge, a bridge, and “a source of hope for all who walk through its doors.”
Energy Minister K. J. George spoke about his own family’s long migration history from Syria to Kerala nearly 1,600 years ago and later to Bangalore.
“Migration is part of my family’s story,” he said. “I know what it means to start again. That is why I feel such closeness to every migrant seeking hope.”
He added that the government “will always stand by the Catholic Church in its efforts to uplift and build a society where everyone, migrant or local, can live with dignity and confidence.”
Leaders involved in migrant ministry stressed the pastoral responsibility of the Church. Bishop Victor Henry Thakur, chair of the CCBI Migrants Commission, said “a migrant should never feel alone. The Church must be a home that listens, protects, and walks with them.”
Metropolitan Archbishop Vincent Aind, secretary general of the CCBI, said modern mobility demands a creative and compassionate approach.
“Human mobility invites us to be creative, compassionate, and courageous in our response,” he said. “The presence of this center is a sign that the Church is attentive and responsive.”
Scalabrinian Superior General Fr. Leonir Chiarello said the congregation’s work with migrants continues through this new facility.
“For over 130 years, our mission has been to accompany migrants with compassion and professionalism. This center continues that mission, ensuring that no migrant is left unseen or unsupported,” he said.
Provincial Superior Fr. Ignacio Gutiérrez outlined their guiding principles of communication, collaboration, cooperation, and coordination.
“These four C’s remind us that the service of migrants is a shared mission,” he said. “When we join hearts and hands, our impact becomes transformative.”
The Archdiocese said the center affirms that every migrant’s story is sacred and every journey deserves dignity, and that anyone seeking shelter in the Church will find a family.
