Lima Peru, September 25, 2018 – The Association of the Missionaries of San Carlos Scalabrinianos (legal name of SIMN in Peru) inaugurated the Welcoming Center Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini on September 24, with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for the Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and in coordination with the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.

This Welcoming Center, which has been in operation since August 6 of this year, has been opened with the aim of providing comprehensive care to migrants of all nationalities in vulnerable situations. Currently, the Center has already served more than a hundred immigrants from different nationalities such as Cuban, Colombian, Japanese and Venezuelan nationalities.

This inauguration was chaired by the President of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (CEP), and Archbishop of Trujillo, Msgr. Miguel Cabrejos, accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the Pastoral Ministry of Human Mobility of the CEP, Fr. Jairo Guidini, the Director of the Center Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini, Fr. Luiz Do Arte, also participated the Chargé d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Peru, Msgr. Gregory Bielaszka, the Auxiliary Bishop of Lima, Msgr. Adriano Tomasi, the Representative of the Commission of the United Nations for Refugees (UNHCR), Ms. Sabine Waehning, Mr. Rogelio Quinteros of the IOM, among others.

During the opening ceremony, Monsignor Cabrejos said that this Center “is an expression of fraternity and solidarity with the outsider brother.” He added that, as expressed by Pope Francis, today it is a great universal challenge to meet the needs of human mobility (migration).

At another moment of his speech, Monsignor Cabrejos announced the start-up of the Claim Center for the abuse of minors and violence against women of the Episcopal Conference, which will begin its work in the month of November of the current year.

The Welcoming Center Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini is part of the network of Welcoming Centers of the Scalabrinians in the region, and it’s the second in Peru after the Santa Rosa de Lima Center in the city of Tacna, southern border of Peru. The Center is located in the crossings of the avenues Bolognesi and Cusco, District of San Miguel- Lima.