Mags GarganA parish appeal in Belfast to raise funds to help alleviate the suffering of refugees fleeing war in Syria has raised an incredible €70,000.
Sparked by frustration at what they saw as a poor political response to the crisis, the Redemptorist community at Clonard Monastery undertook fundraising collections at the end of September, which was boosted by the priests and brothers contributing two weeks of church income.
“The ongoing refugee crisis is a humanitarian disaster on a massive scale and while political powers debate quotas and border controls, we must not forget that behind every statistic is a man, woman and child in need of our help,” said Fr Noel Kehoe, Rector of Clonard.
“The response of the people of Clonard has been overwhelming. This is faith in action – and once again Clonard’s faithful have shown their solidarity with those who are in need.”
The funds raised are being used to fund Plan International Ireland’s refugee work in Europe and the Middle East.
“This funding from the people who attend Clonard Monastery is vital to support our ongoing efforts particularly in Italy and Egypt,” said David Dalton, Plan International Ireland’s CEO. “We have been working in Egypt since 2013 with Syrian refugees and the well-being of 57,000 Syrian children is central to our response,” he said.