On February 23, 2016 the BC Catholic published an article by Deborah Gyapong regarding the extension of matching funds by the Federal Government and the hopes that this may result in a rise in donations to refugee sponsorship groups. Three Catholic charities joined forces with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) last fall to raise urgently-needed funds for Syrian refugees.

David Leduc, the executive director of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, said he is grateful the international development minister extended the deadline to the end of February. He hopes Catholics will help CCODP meet its goal of $3.5 million by then. To date it has raised $2.2 million. Humanitarian projects Development and Peace has helped fund have included medical supplies, distribution of winter supplies, basic household items, food vouchers, housing assistance and educational activities for children.

Aid to the Church in Need has raised $415,305 so far for projects that include helping displaced persons in Syria with housing, winter clothing and baby supplies. Through the local churches they have helped fund reconstruction projects in the Syrian cities Yabroud and Homs where some Christians have returned.

CNEWA Canada national director Carl Hetu points out CNEWA has been in the Middle East for 90s years and the Syrian crisis is not the first the agency has witnessed. “Our role all along is to accompany the local church in whatever crisis they go through,” he said. “The Syrian one is a major one, so we’re there with the Church and the people to help them survive this big mess.”

You can read the entire article here.

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In September 2015, with the support of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (D&P), Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada, and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association Canada (CNEWA), a joint fundraising campaign was launched, aimed at involving all the Church in Canada in order to assist Syrian refugees seeking shelter and protection in the Middle East and parts of Europe.

To date, the joint campaign has raised more than $3.5 million. On January 7, 2016, the Minister for International Development and La Francophonie, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced that the federal government’s period for matching donations toward Syrian emergency assistance has been extended until February 29, 2016. Therefore, you can still donate to this effort by clicking on any of the links in this article.

ACN has raised $415,305 to date. CNEWA Canada received approximately $890,715. Development and Peace – Caritas Canada has collected $2.2M. The Catholic Church has been mobilized from the beginning of the crisis through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and its charity network.

The full article in English can be found here.

The full article in French can be found here.

Posted January 25, 2016 in the Catholic Register, Doreen Abi Raad reports that the newly appointed Syriac Catholic bishop for Canada will focus on refugees. Bishop Antoine Nassif was ordained Jan. 23 by Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan at Our Lady of Deliverance Cathedral in Beirut. He will lead the first apostolic exarchate for Syriac Catholics living in Canada, with the jurisdiction based in Montreal and Laval, Quebec. Bishop Nassif was born in Biakout, Lebanon.

The Bishop pledged, “With what is happening in our Middle East, and most importantly with the refugees — Syrian, Iraqi and others — I will put their suffering on the top of my priorities, especially their spiritual needs.” He plans to work closely with the Canadian government, particularly with Eva Nassif, a member of the Canadian Parliament, who is a native of Lebanon and a distant relative he has never met, to facilitate the settling of refugees.

You can read the full article at this link.

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On the occasion of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sunday January 17, 2016, Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto celebrated Mass hosted by the Goan community at St. Joseph’s Church in Mississauga, Ontario. On January 22, the Catholic Register newspaper published an article by Michael Swan describing the event. The Cardinal reminded the people about the document from Pope Francis in which he announced the theme for this year as: “Migrants and Refugees Challenge us. The response of the Gospel of Mercy“. The Cardinal also spoke of the long history of the Toronto Archdiocese in welcoming migrants and refugees.

After the Mass, a reception was held in the parish hall. A number of dignitaries attended to enjoy some food, music and dancing. The Goan community presented a slide show of the beauty of their home country, the food, the beaches and the water.

You can read the entire article by clicking here.

The Catholic Register, in their January 6, 2016 issue, published an article written by Michael Swan. He points out that Catholic settlement agencies will be asking the Government for more money to help settle newly arrived refugees. Catholic Cross-Cultural Services executive director Carolyn Davis says  that many people  are very interested in doing something to support the Syrian refugees. They may not have the time, energy or financial wherewithal to become a sponsor, but there may be other things that they could offer. She is referring to what was called the “Host Program” which had organized volunteers who would befriend new arrivals in Canada. The idea was that through these friendships the new arrivals would form social networks that could help them improve their English and lead them to jobs, business opportunities, educational opportunities and political and social engagement. However, it was cancelled in 2008. Host was replaced by programs titled “Community Connections.” These programs “help to lessen feelings of isolation and marginalization among newcomers,” said Citizenship and Immigration. The Government sponsored refugee settles more quickly. They have a built-in set of connections to potential jobs, to potential places to live — all those connections that help people settle.”

Carolyn Davis also indicated that Cross Cultural Services (CCCS) will also vie for a slice of $8.5 million Queen’s Park will distribute to settlement agencies in Ontario.

You can read the entire article on the Catholic Register website.

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,900 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 32 trips to carry that many people.

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Some members of the executive committee of CRSC and a representative from the Office for Refugees for the Archdiocese of Toronto (ORAT) had the opportunity to meet with the Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in December 2014. Several topics were discussed. These included: the Interim Federal Health Program, the change in the age of dependency rules, the increase in processing times when  the offices moved to Winnipeg and the increased use of the BVOR program.

The CRSC and the Minister agreed that continued dialogue was vital to furthering our mutual aim of resettling refugees in Canada. Both parties pledged to work together on this important issue.

You can read the note of thanks and a summary of the discussion by clicking here.

Canadian Catholic News published December 4, 2014 had a story written by Deborah Gyapong.

Cardinal Collins of Toronto delivered his message to Members of Parliament, Senators and representatives from many embassies at the All-Party Interfaith National Prayer Breakfast in Centre Block’s Parliamentary restaurant. He said that in a time of severe crisis around the world, Parliamentarians must show integrity and humility in public life. He also urged cultivation of the virtue of humility, “a virtue rooted in faith, which protects us from becoming disoriented and shattered by the crises we all face.” He used the examples of St. Thomas More and St. John Paul II a models of integrity of faith and reason. The Cardinal went on to say that we all need to be people of integrity — integer-ity — and to look to both faith and reason as we seek to respond to the crises of life. “Faith helps us in times of crisis, because it gives us the perspective that leads to humility, as we recognize “God is God, and I am not” – a most sane way of seeing things.”

You can read the full article here.

In November 2014 the CPJ (Citizens for Public Justice) made a submission to to the Standing Committee on
Citizenship and Immigration entitled “Protecting the Vulnerable, A Call to Safeguard Social Assistance for
Refugee Claimants. In the submission there is mention of Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH’s) and their struggle with the system. It mentions long wait times, lack of Government consultation and the heavy burden of private sponsorship which has led to many SAH’s withdrawing from their involvement.

You can read the full report here.