Prayer to

Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini

O Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini,

Apostle of the Catechism and Father to the Migrants,

You always listened to the cry of the poor.

You taught the children to believe in God.

You taught the children to believe in God.

You opened doors of opportunity for the deaf.

You gave protection to the rice workers.

You listened to the cry of the migrants, spoke in their name, fought for their rights, and walked in their company.

As bishop, you led the faithful of your diocese to God in unity with the Church and in acceptance of the cross.

You inspired your missionaries to imitate your apostolic fervor in serving the migrants. On the journey of life, we are often disoriented and divided.

Help us to imitate you in seeking Christ in the Eucharist and in hearing His voice in the cry of our brothers and sisters.

Give us a welcoming heart for those at our door and make us ever ready to answer when the Lord calls upon us.

Through your intercession and the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

Whom you loved with the love of a son, may God make us open to entering into dialogue, untiring in working for brotherhood and courageous in going beyond borders, so as to build a community of people where strangers are brothers and sister and where migrants are always at home.

Amen.