SERVICE LEARNING IMMERSION

 Immersion experiences for youth, visiting and appreciating the farmworkers, their work, and spirituality

LEADERSHIP FORMATION AND MINISTRIES

Training, consultation and appraisal to dioceses and parishes in the formation and training for pastoral and social services to and with migrant farmworkers and their families in rural areas. ​

PASTORAL VISITS AND SACRAMENTS

Planning and coordination of pastoral visits from bishops and priests, both US and Latin American, giving witness to a church without borders; sacrament and sign of salvation. Sharing, celebrating and organizing faith, sacraments and hope in solidarity.

APPROPRIATE CATECHETICAL RESOURCES

Catholic Migrant Farmworker Ministry has its distinct reality, language, gifts, and challenges. There is a urgent need for appropriate technical, electronic, popular resources, through which the migrant farmworkers and their leaders can share their work, life and faith. 

CATHOLIC MIGRANT FARMWORKER NETWORK
Journeying without fear and together in hope
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The life of migrant farmworker families continues to grow more difficult in these times of political and social unrest here in the United States. While the normal tensions of the constant moving from state to state following the harvest; interruption of children’s schooling multiple times per year; and difficulty in linking up with local Churches due to language, cultural, economic and social differences serves to separate our migrant families. But these are the very ones that the Gospel of Matthew encourages us to embrace …” Whatever you did to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did to me,” MT 25:40

How does the Church respond to the spiritual and material needs of these good people who often spend only weeks at a time within one area of any particular parish? Our preliminary analysis of our CMFN National Survey 2016, where 73 out of 200 dioceses participated the following indicators provide us much concern: 88% of respondents reported Migrants/Rural Immigrants in their diocese, 86% of respondents reported services provided in Spanish, the greatest problems facing Migrant Farmworkers / Rural Immigrants was Immigration (75%), Health Care (62%), low wages (60%), Driver’s License (56%) and Housing (53%). While 67.7% of the diocese reported that the Rural Immigrant population is growing only 62% provide outreach and evangelization to Migrants / Rural Immigrants. Our National Survey final analysis will be shared at the upcoming V Encentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry in September 2018 in Grapevine, TX.

Founded in 1986, the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network (CMFN) promotes the formation of welcoming church communities by advocating social justice, dignity and respect for all, that we may be a more missionary Church. Through leadership formation, networking and provision of resources to pastoral ministers and farmworkers. CMFN helps bridge the differences and distances that separate the people of God. We (CMFN) have recently moved our office from the Youngstown Diocese of Ohio to the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska. We recently completed a “Train the Trainers Workshop” in Monterrey, CA. for 67 participants from 14 parishes providing a learning methodology of experience, reflection and critical experience.  Special gratitude to Fr. Tom Florek, S.J. for his incredible leadership, faith and dedication to CMFN and our migrant family.