Refugees
The Biblical message of blessings on those who welcome the stranger is echoed in the experience of anyone committed to working with immigrants and refugees. There is a knowledge and an enrichment through this welcome that can go beyond expectation and result in a personal and communal transformation that adds depth and meaning to one's life. To be involved is to risk, as in any relationship. To meet their needs, especially those of refugees whose stories cry loudly of unmitigated pain and suffering, is very demanding. But to journey with them toward a new life here can become a privilege and an opportunity for jubilation.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough is the only Sponsorship Agreement Holder in Peterborough. Numbering 120 across Canada, a SAH is an organization approved by Ottawa as a trusted partner in refugee resettlement.
In 2015 to 2016, during the Syrian Refugee Crisis, 18 of our Parishes sponsored 83 refugees to come to Canada.
Other groups in the Peterborough area accessed our “SAH” to bring 152 more to safety.
Many of these sponsors have returned to sponsor again. And many of the families they settled have also come to us, ready and able now to sponsors their loved ones who were left behind.
Since 2019 we have welcomed 92 new arrivals from countries like Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda. We are still awaiting 65 people whose applications are in process. We have had many requests for the year 2023, as the refugee crisis abroad continues to grow.
Email REFUGEES for more information.