Refugee Week 2023
In 2023 the United Kingdom celebrates Refugee Week between 19th-25th June, with many charities and voluntary organisations running events based around the theme of 'Compassion' through cultural and sporting events.
We all need to exercise a degree of compassion towards each other as we face the new 'normal' of a post-pandemic society. Refugees and migrants are facing their own challenges as unsafe boats continue to cross dangerous waters, putting more lives at risk, In the UK they also potentially face a hostile response with the British anti-migration law, as well as poor living conditions such as those identified recently at Napier Barracks in Kent.
We are called to act with compassion towards our neighbour, sharing what we have, and openly exploring our differences, as well as that which binds us together. This week we celebrate the contributions of migrants and refugees which enrich our parishes and wider communities across the UK.
Celebrating Refugee Week
- In Southwark, Ooberfuse, an acclaimed Indie Band, will be holding a free concert in Dover at 7 pm on Saturday 24th June 2023.
- The Jesuit Refugee Service is hosting a number of events across the UK, including a poetry and photography exhibition, as well as a London book launch.
- A range of additional events around the UK, including festivals, film screenings and art installations, can be viewed here.
Archbishop John Wilson's Podcast
"To me, it is absolutely essential that we recognise that we are our brother and sister's keeper. At the heart of any issue is a person and if we lose sight of the person then we begin to work in a way that is inhuman."
Listen to a podcast featuring Archbishop Wilson, recorded by the Catholic Bishops' Conference, in which he reflects on the need to consider the person rather than politics.
