Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: Safe Passage Story: At the height of the Mediterranean refugee crisis in late 2015, an ecumenical group of Italian Christians banded together to establish Humanitarian Corridors. Since that time, over 1500 refugees…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: I Remember You Story: Putting flowers on a loved one’s grave is one way to say, “I love you. I miss you. I remember you.” Francesco Piobbichi’s drawing gives us a brief…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: Freedom Story: At first glance we see only the boy with the ball. He could be the kid down the block. We smile at his exuberance. We marvel at his…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: Welela Story: When I visited the island of Lampedusa in 2018, artist Francesco Piobbichi took me to a sun-drenched cemetery where we visited the grave of the young woman at…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: “Hi Mom. I’m Alive!” Story: Imagine not knowing whether your child is alive. Perhaps you haven’t heard from them for months. Or maybe all you know is that they boarded a crowded boat…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: My Daughter! My Daughter! Story: From the moment this young mother was pulled from the waters of the Mediterranean, she was desperate to find her young daughter. “Mia bambina!” she cried, over and…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: You Were A Stranger Story: Happy endings are hard to come by on the island of Lamepedusa. For one thing, even the migrants who survive the journey to this tiny island gateway to…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: Rachel Weeping Story: This image of a mother cradling her baby is heartbreakingly lovely—or at least it is until we realize that they are under the waves. Then it is just…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: A Familiar Face Story: If the face in the prow of the boat looks familiar, it’s because it is that of Anne Frank. Most of us know her story. Though she died…
Welcoming the Stranger Welcoming the Stranger: Samia’s Story Welcoming the Stranger Series In the last ten years more than 35,000 asylum seekers have died in the Mediterranean. Desperate to escape untenable situations in countries like, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan,…
