Confronted by the conflict, slaughter, and seemingly endless anguish in so many other places in our world, we wonder how God can allow such things to happen. The Old Testament describes how the people of Israel suffered war, violence, famine, persecution, and exile, and how they tried to find the presence of the loving God of the covenant in all those harsh realities.
This section of the website offers readers an opportunity to reflect and pray on the good and evil which happens. As we meet and work with refugees who have confronted evil and suffering, it is important to remind them and ourselves as well to keep in touch with God, the source of all good and love. This is the only way to withstand evil.
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Praying with Refugees: Palm Sunday in Beirut Beirut, Palm Sunday, 1 April 2013 – It must have been a spring day like this, bright and sunny, when long ago Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we as Christians now call Palm Sunday. Last week in Lebanon, during the procession around St Joseph's Church in Beirut, worshippers – mostly domestic workers from the Philippines, South Sudan and Sri Lanka – waved their olive tree branches. Read more >> |
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Praying with refugees: the real face of peace Caracas, 1 January 2013 – Recently, the Colombian government has opened peace talks with the with the largest left-wing guerrilla group, the FARC. Surely real peace building in Latin America needs participation of the victims of armed conflict in Colombia. Read more >> |
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Praying with refugees in Nairobi (Nairobi) December 1, 2012 — Urban refugees in Nairobi live on the margins of society, not legally allowed to work, and struggling in an already over-crowded city. Fleeing violence, political instability and drought, refugees end up living in economically-deprived areas, desperate to find a place to call home, searching for hospitality in an unfamiliar country. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Australia (Sydney) November 1, 2012 — The Jesuit Refugee Service office in Sydney is located in an inner city Jesuit parish. For many refugees a visa is the beginning of a new struggle, not the end. Psychological trauma and loss can be completely debilitating to even the strongest of personalities. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in the Philippines (Guindulungan, Philippines) October 1, 2012 — The southern Philippines has been ravaged by political violence since 2008. Jesuit Refugee Service supports internally displaced persons in their journey to become self-sufficient, and manages programs to strengthen peace building between communities in Guindulungan and Datu Piang municipalities. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Jordan (Amman, Jordan) September 1, 2012 – Iraqis have been seeking refuge in Jordan for decades, coming here to escape years of repeated wars, internal strife and economic hardship. Despite a slightly more stable situation in their home country, Iraqis from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds continue to arrive, seeking safety and the chance to build a more dignified life for themselves and their families. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Uganda (Boston) August 1, 2012 — As we traveled toward Morobi in northern Uganda, Lodu informed me that Flabius, the head catechist in the village, had lost a daughter. But it was a much deeper tragedy. This good man had lost not only his daughter—and his wife a few years ago—but seven children to war and disease over time. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in the United Kingdom (London) July 1, 2012 — Visiting the detention centres near Heathrow airport outside of London, Jesuit Refugee Service staff and volunteers accompany failed asylum seekers, in a pastoral capacity, striving to enhance their dignity and strengthen their resolve to remain strong in the face of much uncertainty. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in the Dominican Republic (Tierra Nueva, Dominican Republic) June 1, 2012 — The Haitian immigrants in Tierra Nueva are among the most economically marginalized people in the Dominican Republic. Their resources are limited even further by authorities who abuse their power in demanding bribes. More recently, the security of their neighborhoods has been threatened by an unsettling wave of violence. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Sri Lanka (Vavuniya) May 1, 2012 — Sri Lanka concluded its war on May 18, 2009. It is estimated that more than 300,000 were forcibly displaced, having lost almost everything during the conflict, and between 40,000 –140,000 were killed in the final phase of the war alone. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in India (Washington, D.C.) April 1, 2012 — The Chin people in Mizoram State, India, live in a protracted, urban refugee situation and face daunting problems related to protection, livelihood, health, and education. While many have been there for years, new arrivals continue, including many youth who are fleeing forced conscription by the Burmese military. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Cambodia (Phnom Penh) March 1, 2012 — Before Mohammed fled Burma, he was often stopped by the authorities on his way to school and sent to work in military camps. There he was made to cook, clean and carry heavy building materials, and he was punished when his captors were unhappy with his work. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Congo (Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo) February 1, 2012 — About two million people have been internally displaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by armed conflicts. The situation here is characterized by chronic and rampant sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees from Colombia (Caracas) January 1, 2012 — Thousands of Colombian women and men are forced to cross their border to find protection. Their flight marks the beginning of a long and difficult journey to find peace and dignity. Their lack of knowledge about refugee rights reduces the likelihood their applications will be accepted by their host countries. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees: the spirit of accompaniment (Geneva) December 1, 2011 — The mission of Jesuit Refugee Service is to accompany, serve and plead the cause of refugees and forcibly displaced persons. Accompaniment, I have learned, is by its very nature reciprocal. It cannot be done alone and it cannot be done in a unilateral fashion. Read more >> |
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Praying with Ahmadiyya Muslim refugees (Bangkok) November 1, 2011 — Ahmadiyya Muslim refugees were forced to flee Pakistan due to religious persecution. August was a particularly challenging and happy month as this year it marked Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. During Ramadan, they are not allowed to eat or drink during sunlight hours, a challenge in the Cambodian heat. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees from Somalia (Nairobi) October 1, 2011 – Since the beginning of the drought and hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa in July, tens of thousands of refugees have fled Somalia, most of them into Kenya and Ethiopia. They march for days or even weeks. Some do not survive the journey; others lose family members on the way or have to leave them behind. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees in Syria (Aleppo, Syria) September 1, 2011 — Since the beginning of this year, the situation in a number of Arab countries has changed considerably — caused in great part by popular political movements. This has not only led to changes in the political regimes or bloody confrontations, but has also created much forced displacement of peoples. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees: the opportunity of education (Washington, D.C.) August 1, 2011 — Refugees don’t leave their countries simply because things are difficult, they leave because their lives are in danger and the situation is hopeless. They are driven by hope to seek new opportunities, not just for themselves, but, for their children. Read more >> |
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Praying with Refugees from Iraq (February 1, 2011) More than 1.5 million Iraqi refugees have sought refuge in neighboring countries, particularly in Syria and Jordan, and Jesuit Refugee Service has opened projects in these countries to accompany and serve this population and their many needs. Read more >> |
