Let the migrants speak

Ex-Migrant House Residents gather as a community and as a family. Photo: Fr Dan Harding SSC

LISTEN TO THE MIGRANT VOICES AT THE GATHERING OF EX-RESIDENTS OF THE COLUMBAN MIGRANT HOUSE IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

THE GATHERING

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, twenty migrant ex-residents of the former Columban Migrant House, “Bobbio” in Santiago, Chile, along with their families, gathered to share their experiences living in the Migrant House as newly arrived migrants to Chile.

This gathering was organised by Venezuelan migrant Javier Núñez and Columban Dan Harding. Javier had been the Administrator of the Columban Migrant House for its five-year existence and Dan had been its chaplain during that time. Also participating in the gathering were Columbans Iowane Gukibau, Michael Howe, Rafael Ramirez and Columban seminarian Lydio Mangao Jr.

Other participants included Sandra, the psychologist from the Scalabrini Migrant Foundation, who specialises in family migration trauma and Marjory, the Coordinator of the Assumptionist Fathers Migrant Ministry. Several local parishioners from the Columban parish of San Matias, interested in setting up a Migrant Ministry, also participated. The gathering ended with a meal and each ex-resident receiving a mug as a memento.

TESTIMONIES OF THREE EX-RESIDENTS

Testimony of Juan Carlos: One-year residency at the Columban Migrant House, Santiago.

I was very close to committing suicide and had lost all faith in God. I had just arrived in Santiago from Venezuela, sleeping out in the open in a town plaza during the freezing Santiago winter with temperatures near or below 0 degrees. I was sick and in desperate need of medicine. I had been suffering for a long time because this medicine was not available in Venezuela.

My twin brother and I had been adopted as small children. When I left Venezuela, he was suffering from hunger and illness. Our parents, who had adopted us, were elderly and without any income to buy food, pay for electricity and water - that is, when they were functioning - or buy medicine, which usually was unavailable anyway.

During 2016–2018, 76% of the Venezuelan economy collapsed, marking the biggest economic collapse in modern history of any country. As a result, 25% of us Venezuelans - eight million people - had to leave Venezuela, the biggest migration in modern times.

I believe that grieving for my brother and my parents helped keep me alive, at least a little longer. It was so hard to leave them behind when I left. My twin brother soon died from a treatable disease because medicine was not available. My parents also died a short time later due to the lack of care and support.

But leaving Venezuela saved my life. What also saved my life was being referred to the Columban Migrant House in Santiago by the Archdiocese of Santiago, where I lived for over a year. There, I found love, friendship, community, support and a new family in a foreign country. I also received the medical attention I urgently needed.

From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank the Columbans enough for the hospitality shown to me during my time in the Migrant House. It saved my life. And it restored my faith in a God who cares about me.

Specially designed gift mugs for the Gathering of Ex-Migrant House residents. - Photo: Fr Dan Harding SSC

Testimony of Juan: One and a half years at the Columban Migrant House, Santiago.

My wife, Veronica and I arrived in Santiago from Venezuela with our two small children. Like many other newly arrived Venezuelan migrants, we had nowhere to live, no employment, no food, no winter clothing, no health care and no support.

After desperately looking for somewhere to live and for employment, we were referred by the Archdiocese of Santiago to the Columban Migrant House where we happily settled in. Our eldest child soon began attending a local kindergarten and I (Juan) found some intermittent work.

When Veronica became pregnant soon after with our third child, she was taken to the local medical centre near the Migrant House. Nine months later, baby Santiago was born, with both mum and baby healthy and doing well.

Santiago is now two and a half years old. Along with his elder brother Pedro and sister Maria, he is happy to be back for this gathering. Veronica and I will be eternally grateful for our stay at the Columban Migrant House which gave us much-needed time to settle into life in a new country, including finding employment, a permanent place to live, medical care and schools for our children.

May God bless the Columbans for this important ministry!

Testimony of Marco: One and a half years of residency at the Columban Migrant House, Santiago

After fleeing Venezuela, I stayed a little while in Quito, Ecuador, cleaning windscreens at traffic lights. I then moved on to Santiago, Chile, where I was referred to the Columban Migrant House by the Archdiocese of Santiago.

While living at the Migrant House I did a pastry-cooking course and began making donuts in the Migrant House kitchen to sell at Metro and bus stations and after Sunday Mass.

After saving enough money, I managed to pay for my girlfriend and our young son to come from Venezuela to Chile and live at the Migrant House. Today, we are no longer a couple but remain friends. We are all here together.

The Columban Migrant House gave us the opportunity to start a new life here in Chile. We are very grateful to the Columbans. May God always bless them!

CONCLUSION

Migrants and refugees coming to a new country frequently suffer trauma and grief for all they have left behind and the new situation in which they find themselves. They have strong feelings of vulnerability and isolation from friends, family and support structures at home and hypersensitivity to their new social reality.

The Columban Migrant House offered migrants and refugees community, family, friendships, connections, job-skill training and legal support. It offered them the space and time to work through their sense of loss and trauma and begin to re-establish themselves in a new and different country - Chile. Importantly, it also offered them an opportunity to discover Christ, the Migrant, in their faith journeys, who was and is always at their side, walking with them, accompanying them, empowering them. The next gathering of ex-residents will be at Christmas time.

Columban Fr Dan Harding lives and works in Chile.