In his homily at the St Patrick’s Day Mass at Sarsfield Barracks, Bishop Leahy said this Feast Day provides us with a golden opportunity each year to reflect on emigration and immigration.
St. Patrick, he said, is a figure to help us reflect on migration in both its difficult aspects and its positive possibilities. We can’t forget, he said, that some of our people abroad experience hardship.
“The migrant St Patrick puts before us the question: how are we today treating those who have migrated to our land? Some came here out of choice. Others have come escaping from war, persecution, or exploitation. For the most part they are ordinary human beings like us, many indeed very talented, people who reached good careers before they had to flee,” said Bishop Leahy.
The majority of people in Ireland are open and welcoming, he said.
"Indeed, polling has shown that the Irish public remains one of the most positive in the EU27 regarding their attitudes towards immigration. There are undoubtedly bona fide concerns within some communities about the lack of services and supports to support people coming here, or the negative impact on local livelihoods when all hotel beds are taken up.
"But there are undoubtedly also those who are taking advantage of this, stirring tensions, triggering riots, murmurings, social media campaigns. As a result, migrants who for many years were made very welcome here, might now feel Ireland is becoming inhospitable, far from a place of a thousand welcomes; a place where the warm fire of hospitality is being replaced by raging fires of division, distrust and disdain stoked by a few who can so easily gain a hold on the many.
"Instead of welcoming and protecting, promoting and integrating refugees we witness outbursts of racism and violence, hatred and misinformation," said Bishop Leahy.