Reminder: This Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 DC Procession and Mass in Support of Migrants and Refugees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 26, 2025
CONTACT: Georgina Wilkinson, [email protected], 301-221-6226
Bridget Cusick, [email protected], 646-260-2462
Please be advised that in case of inclement weather, the procession will move indoors to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle at 3:30 p.m. Any updates will be posted by 8:30 a.m. on Sunday to adw.org and our social media channels below.
Cameras are allowed inside the Cathedral for this event. Please RSVP to [email protected] and we will assist you with optimal placement inside.
Reminder: This Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 DC Procession and Mass in Support of Migrants and Refugees
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Hundreds are expected to attend the first Reflection Procession through the streets of Washington on Sunday, September 28, 2025 in observance of the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees and the Jubilee of Migrants declared by the late Pope Francis in conjunction with the 2025 observation of a Jubilee year. Organized in partnership between The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)/USA, the event invites participants to walk in solidarity with migrants and refugees. Along the route, there will be seven stops where a mix of parishioners, migrants, clergy, religious, and community members and leaders will give reflections around this year’s theme, “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope.”
The procession will begin at 2:30 p.m. from Shrine of the Sacred Heart (3211 Sacred Heart Way NW) and conclude at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle (1725 Rhode Island Ave NW).
At the end of the procession, Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle at 5:30 p.m.
Observed globally, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees marks the conclusion of National Migration Week, which has been celebrated in the United States since 1980. This year, National Migration Week takes place September 22–28, while the World Day of Migrants and Refugees will coincide with the Jubilee of Migrants on October 4–5.
- Procession: 2:30 p.m. – Shrine of the Sacred Heart to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
- Mass: 5:30 p.m. ET – Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, 1725 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
- Livestream of the Mass available; the procession will be livestreamed from JRS/USA’s Instagram account.
Follow additional live coverage of the procession and Mass on the Archdiocese’s social media channels!
Facebook: facebook.com/adw.org
Instagram, X and YouTube: @washarchdiocese
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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is home to more than 667,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 90 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.
JRS is an international Catholic organization with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. Founded as a work of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1980, JRS today works in more than 50 countries to meet the educational, health, and social needs of more than 1,000,000 refugees. JRS/USA is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C., that serves forcibly displaced migrants in the United States through detention chaplaincy, legal assistance, and mental health & psychosocial support; through advocacy at home and abroad; and through support for JRS projects and programming throughout the world. www.jrsusa.org.