Members of Los Angeles' many ethnic and cultural communities braved a stormy Saturday morning to fill the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels for a Mass to honor refugees and immigrants throughout the United States.

Cardinal Roger Mahony presided over the Jan. 8 event, part of a weeklong celebration throughout the Catholic Church in the United States that served as a reminder of the country's migrant roots and the struggles of migrants in their difficult journey to establish a new life in this country.

The Mass opened with a procession of migrants in their native dress and a welcome by members from the Native American community. The Mass also featured Vietnamese dancers and a multicultural choir.

"We took part to give special prayers to the migrants because they are guests to our motherland," said Sylvia Salazar, coordinator of the Native American Ministry. "We offered prayers for them to be protected and fruitful in our motherland."

Following the day's theme of a "journey in peace and hope," Cardinal Mahony welcomed the assembly with the words, "Each of us gained our entry into the life of Jesus through the saintly waters of baptism. As we emerged from those waters we were no longer identified by nation, language, culture or color; we were now identified as brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ."

"The liturgy perfectly expressed a flourishing of many languages and cultures," noted St. Charles Missionary Father Giovanni Bizzotto, pastor of St. Peter Italian Church and one of the day's organizers.

Father Bizzotto said he hoped that the archdiocesan celebration of migrants day will continue along with the annual archdiocesan celebration of diversity held on October.

"The idea was to bring together as many ethnic groups available to celebrate faith and culture," he said. "People felt very energized by the Mass and we hope we can do it again in the future."

Bringing together the various races, colors and cultures that make up the archdiocese is an ongoing process, and Cardinal Mahony reiterated the importance of people truly coming together in his eloquent homily.

"Unity does not come about by just sharing church buildings. The fact that different groups come at different times to offer Mass in their language --- that doesn't bring about unity, that's simply convenience," said Cardinal Mahony.

"To be the one holy Catholic apostolic church in the spirit of our Scriptures and in God's plan, we must do far more. We must find ways to bring all of the peoples of one parish together. We must lay aside isolation. We must set aside being separate. We must find ways to preserve our culture and heritage, but also to share in the common heritage, which is our baptism and our faith."

After the Mass a Festival of Cultures was held at St. Peter Church in downtown Los Angeles featuring international foods, entertainment and exhibits.