A special International Mass was held at St Peter’s Church in Lurgan, County Armagh, on Sunday, with Archbishop Eamon Martin presiding. The service, the second of its kind in the parish, was organised to celebrate the cultural diversity of the local Catholic community.

In his homily, Archbishop Martin directly addressed the recent knife attack on a man in Belfast and the subsequent violence directed at homes and businesses belonging to migrant communities across Northern Ireland. He acknowledged the fear and anxiety felt by many during that week.

The Archbishop said the Mass was an opportunity to pray together after what he described as a traumatic period. He expressed shock and horror at the hatred shown to people who have come from around the world to live and work in Ireland.

Drawing on the country’s emigration history, he noted that Ireland has long been a nation of migrants. During the famine era almost two million people left, and even today many young Irish people emigrate for work or experience. He contrasted that tradition with what he called angry and hate‑filled voices on social media demanding borders be closed, a rhetoric he said echoed past injustices suffered by Irish emigrants abroad.

Archbishop Martin cited recent teachings of Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI and the newly installed Pope Leo XIV, all of whom have emphasised the duty to welcome migrants as a matter of human dignity. He stressed that integration is a mutual process, with newcomers invited to share their gifts and traditions while also learning the language and customs of their new home.

He stated plainly that racism is a grave sin and that Christians must stand strongly against it. He repeated a recent statement by the Irish Catholic Bishops, affirming that God’s love is not restricted by passports and that all are equal in His eyes. Racism, he said, exploits anxieties by spreading fear and misinformation.

The Mass formed part of the parish’s ongoing effort to foster unity among people of many nations, languages and cultures.