On 1 May 2021, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the 150 Days of Action Campaign for Refugees and Asylum Seekers under the title of St. Joseph the Refugee was launched at St. Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney. Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney Terry Brady joined with 100 representatives from parishes, schools, refugee advocates and members of the Josephite Justice Network for the launch. The campaign is a response to Pope Francis’ declaration of 2021 as the Year of St Joseph, who is “the special patron of all those forced to leave their native lands because of war, hatred, persecution and poverty” and was recently declared a Patron of Refugees. Led by the Sisters of St Joseph and the Justice and Peace Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Syney, the campaign will advocate for income support and a financial safety net for all people seeking asylum in Australia, an end temporary protection visas and to create a clear pathway to permanent residence and to ensure access to family reunion for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia.

For more about the inspiration behind the campaign read here and for more about the launch read the summaries on the Justice and Peace Office website and the Sisters of St Joseph website.

For more details about the campaign and what action you can take please see here.