I came across this video yesterday, Tuesday 1 December, and posted it on Facebook. When I opened Facebook this morning I found a message from Loren herself, whom I have never met, and one from a mutual friend in the Philippines, Gwen Llano, who has been involved in Faith and Light for many years. Gwen gave a seminar in Lebanon in 2020 and met Loren there.
The website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has a report on Loren's talk here. The report by Roy Lagarde says: Pope Leo XIV on Monday said migrants’ experiences must push Christians to oppose war and build communities where no one seeking safety feels unwelcome, after hearing a Filipino woman’s testimony.
Loren Capobres, a former Filipino domestic worker in Lebanon who now works with Jesuit Refugee Service, shared stories that illustrate both the human cost of conflict and the Church’s moral responsibility.
Capobres described her work with migrants through Couples for Christ Lebanon, the Arrupe Migrant Center, and St. Joseph’s Tabaris Parish, which she calls her second home.
She said the parish, supported by Jesuit Refugee Service, became a shelter for migrants who lost homes, work, and security during fighting.
Lebanon is a country that knows suffering. The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) led to 150,000 deaths and a million people leaving the country. The population in 1970 was 2,386,114. The country has also given refuge to people fleeing from other wars in the Middle East.
Catholic immigrants such as Loren Capobres bring a deep and generous faith and enrich the countries wherever they go. Here in Ireland I'm often struck by the Catholic faith of Filipinos, Indians from Kerala, who trace their faith back to St Thomas the Apostle, and Nigerians in particular. They come from countries that are very different culturally in many ways from Ireland, but share with us here the deepest identity of all: our Catholic faith received at baptism that when lived leads persons to serve others generously.
May God continue to bless Loren Capobres and so many others like her, wherever they may be.
