CHINA Shanghai Catholics reach out to migrant workers

SHANGHAI, China (UCAN) – A parish in Shanghai is reaching out to migrant workers in the city who are worried about keeping their jobs and looking after their families in these tough economic times.

Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian
of Shanghai diocese

The migrant workforce that flocked to the big cities in the east during boom times has been devastated by the global financial crisis that has left 20 million people jobless in the country.
The Church in China has called for Catholics to respond to the concerns of the migrants. Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian of Shanghai diocese, in a Lenten pastoral letter, urged people to reach out to these workers.

Sacred Heart Church of Songjiang answered the call, setting up a forum for the migrant workers to air their grievances and receive support.

A migrant worker, with his belongings over his shoulder,
walks past a truck in the town of Xichuan, China,
on February 18. Photo: CNS/Reuters