São Paulo, Brazil – From July 13–17, 2026, the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians held the World Meeting of Directors of Homes and Migrant Centers at the São João XXIII Seminary in the Ipiranga district of São Paulo. The gathering brought together missionaries and directors of shelters, service centers, and programs assisting migrants and refugees from different countries to strengthen the Scalabrinian mission in response to today’s challenges of human mobility.
Over the course of five days, participants analyzed the current international migration landscape, evaluated the Congregation’s pastoral, social, and institutional responses, and defined strategies to strengthen support for migrants and refugees in countries of origin, transit, and destination.
Fr. Márcio Toniazzo, CS, Executive Director of the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) and one of the organizers of the meeting, emphasized that the gathering provided an opportunity to renew the Congregation’s institutional commitment at a time marked by wars, humanitarian crises, changes in migration policies, natural disasters, and new challenges affecting the sustainability of ministries serving migrants and refugees.
“We are living in a time of profound transformation that requires us to evaluate our responses, renew our strategic planning, and strengthen our presence alongside migrants and refugees,” Fr. Márcio said during the meeting.
The program included analyses of major international migration trends, the impact of current migration policies, the challenges faced by host communities, and the role of the Church in promoting comprehensive responses to this global phenomenon. Scalabrinian provinces and regions also shared experiences and best practices in innovation, institutional sustainability, communications, artificial intelligence, pastoral formation, and network-building.
One of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation by a representative of the United Nations, who provided an overview of the current global migration context. Additional sessions focused on the Congregation’s institutional responses, public advocacy, and the development of innovative projects to strengthen the Scalabrinian mission.
Fr. Márcio also noted that the participation of provincial and regional superiors strengthened the Congregation’s capacity for international coordination.
“This meeting was not only about discussing operational matters but also about reinforcing the Congregation’s institutional commitment to providing increasingly strong, coherent, and sustainable responses to the challenges of contemporary migration,” he stated.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of strengthening collaboration among governments, universities, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations to promote comprehensive solutions to human mobility. Participants agreed that dialogue and cooperation are essential to advancing public policies and concrete initiatives that effectively respond to the needs of migrants and refugees.