If Christmas is a time to get together with family, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish considers farm workers from Guatemala, Mexico, and other countries part of the family.

This Dec. 22, the Vancouver parish hosted a special Christmas dinner for migrants, complete with live music, gifts, prizes, and even a guest appearance by Santa Claus.

Migrant farm workers - the majority of them men - often spend six months to a year away from their families at a time, working hard to support them on farms in Delta, Langley, Abbotsford, and Maple Ridge. They miss birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, and other important events.

To ease their loneliness over the holidays, volunteers at Our Lady of Sorrows annually host a special Christmas liturgy and feast. They give away warm clothing, gifts, and prizes including soccer balls and bicycles.

The parish also runs a year-round ministry for migrant farm workers, including local Masses in Spanish.

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