They are offering guidelines to those who host the pilgrims suggesting how they can welcome and care for their spiritual needs. Read more

He was speaking to alumni of Jesuit schools in Europe who were in Rome for a conference on refugees.

The pope said: "I encourage you to welcome refugees into your homes and communities, so that their first experience of Europe is not the traumatic experience of sleeping cold on the streets, but one of warm welcome."

He said each refugee "has a name, a face and a story, as well as an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future" for their children.

"At this place and time in history, there is great need for men and women who hear the cry of the poor and respond with mercy and generosity," the pope told a group of Jesuit alumni Sept. 17.

He noted how there are "tragically more than 65 million" forcibly displaced persons around the globe, calling the number "unprecedented" and "beyond all imagination."

"The displaced population of today's world is now larger than the entire population of Italy," he said, but cautioned that beyond the statistics, each refugee is no different from our own families.

Pope Francis spoke to members of the European Confederation and World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae present in Rome for a Sept. 14-16 conference titled "Global Migration and Refugee Crisis: Time to Contemplate and Act."

Throughout their conference, the group was accompanied by the Jesuit Refugee Service, which was founded in 1980 by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, superior general of the Jesuits while Pope Francis was a young priest.

Source

• Crux
• Image: middleeasteye.net

But as a mom of four children under 10, including twin toddlers, I've come to appreciate those church outings. Here's why. Continue reading

Thom S Rainer carried out a twitter survey to see if he could find out how church communities drive away newcomers.

This is what he discovered:

1. Having a stand up and greet one another time in the worship service. This response was my greatest surprise for two reasons. First, I was surprised how much guests are really uncomfortable during this time. Second, I was really surprised that it was the most frequent response.
2. Unfriendly church members. This response was anticipated. But the surprise was the number of respondents who included non-genuine friendliness in their answers. In other words, the guests perceived some of the church members were faking it.
3. Unsafe and unclean children's area. This response generated the greatest emotional reactions. If your church does not give a high priority to children, don't expect young families to attend.
4. No place to get information. If your church does not have a clear and obvious place to get information, you probably have lowered the chances of a return visit by half. There should also be someone to greet and assist guests at that information center as well. Read the rest of the top 10 list