Migrants full of hope
News
The theme of this year’s World Day of Migrant and Refugees – Migrants, Missionaries of Hope – couldn’t be truer for Kelly Saavedra and Jorge Rivera.
Guided by their strong faith and devotion to Mary, the married couple has come to Australia from Colombia full of hope for the future but also with a determination to contribute to their new country in every way they can.
Since arriving in Adelaide five months ago, Kelly and Jorge have wasted no time in getting involved in the life of the Archdiocese, attending special events such as the Season of Creation Mass, Fire Weekend and the Sevenhill pilgrimage as well as actively participating in their local parish of St Ann’s.
The couple might not have a car yet but that hasn’t stopped them from attending events all over Adelaide. They even got a lift back to the city with the Archbishop after the recent feast of Creation Mass in Stockade Botanical Park, which isn’t well connected by public transport.
Representatives of cultural groups process into the Cathedral for Migrant and Refugee Sunday Mass on September 28.
When they heard about the annual Migrant and Refugee Sunday Mass at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on September 28 they were keen to attend and play a role.
“We are happy to help in any way we can, and by sharing our story and our experience,” Jorge, 37, said.
Kelly, 32, agreed. “Though migration is never easy, we recognise that our journey has been less difficult than it is for many, and since we feel we have received a lot, we want to give back.”
Their arrival in Australia comes at a time when Catholic Church leaders are urging Australians to respond with compassion amid growing public debate around immigration.
In a recent pastoral letter, Bishop Timothy Harris, chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, said governments must weigh complex questions of population growth, housing, infrastructure and social cohesion and cultural unity.
“These are important considerations, yet they should never cause us to forget the people at the heart of this discussion,” he wrote.
“Each newcomer to our shores is a person created in God’s image and arrives with hopes for safety, dignity and the opportunity to contribute to a new life.”
Bishop Harris said migrants have played an integral role in enriching the Catholic Church in Australia.
Kelly and Jorge have not only been contributing to the life of the Church. The pair is also committed to having a positive impact through their professional careers.
Luce, the official mascot of the 2025 Jubilee, was a hit at last month’s Migrant and Refugee Sunday Mass.
Kelly was offered a position with the SA Government while still living in the Colombian capital of Bogota. She works as a Geographic Information Systems analyst with the Department of Energy and Mining or, as Jorge proudly described, “she saves the world because she tells you with a map whether you can mine there or not”.
“As migrants we are in unknown territory and this job has helped me to know the place where we are living,” Kelly said.
“Something that has impressed me is the deep connection between Aboriginal communities and the land.”
Jorge works for an interstate IT company from home and is very conscious of the need for sustainable technology.
Coming from a city of eight million people, Kelly and Jorge were drawn to Australia because of their love of nature and open spaces.
After staying with friends at Largs North for two weeks, and going to 15 rental inspections, they found a unit in a quiet street in Daw Park where they “look out the window and see trees and birds”.
They decided about five years ago that they wanted to migrate.
“We were thinking about growing our family in a place with a good quality of life. Also, our professions were in demand here and we wanted to have an international experience and develop new skills,” Kelly said.
“Even though it’s a good decision for us, we had to pray about it.
“People say both of you are so lucky, I say we’re not lucky, it’s because it’s God’s plan for us. We have a huge devotion for Mary also…our trip has been so blessed.”
Of course, the hardest part was moving so far away from loved ones.
“They were really sad, family is everything in South America, but fortunately there was history because some of my cousins had already migrated overseas,” he said.
For Kelly, it was especially difficult to leave her parents after they had recently lost a loved one. This happened while Kelly and Jorge were waiting for their visa application to be approved.
“As I said, it was God’s plan, everything in His time, if it hadn’t taken one and a half years to get a visa, we wouldn’t have been able to support my family during difficult times,” she said.
Jorge said migrating to another country had allowed them to “grow in our marriage and in our faith”.
“We are Catholic because in South America religion is deeply tied to cultural traditions and family values,” he said, adding about 80 per cent of Colombia was Catholic.
“Our friends told us you have to be intentional in your faith because Australia has a lot of religions, and you might not find a Catholic church near your house,” he said.
“But we started meeting people and we realised something impressive – that here the Catholic community is so strong, so close.
“If you are Catholic here it’s not because you are obligated by your parents, it’s because you have the conviction and you like to study and learn more about your faith.”
Jorge and Kelly met while studying at a Jesuit university, where they were introduced to and formed in Ignatian spirituality.
After a seven year courtship they were married on December 12, 2020, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Kelly and Jorge said their involvement in the local Church had been “so important” in helping them settle into their new life. The St Ann’s community and Fr Joseph Wales had been very welcoming and they were pleasantly surprised by the regular morning teas after Mass.
Jorge said going to an English-speaking Mass made him feel like he was “baptised yesterday”.
“I need to learn again the rituals, the prayers, the hymns, but it feels like home too,” he said.
“There is a familiarity, a calmness, because the Church is universal.
“When you meet someone, no matter what nationality, if you are in the church you share something, you share the faith, and you feel that connection that we are together as one Church.”
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