Courtney McGrailRepresentatives of many Dublin parishes attended a meeting with Crosscare, the diocese’s social care agency, and the Irish Red Cross on October 22 to discuss the refugee crisis.
The Red Cross provided a high level overview of how people will be welcomed to Ireland and their application for refugee status processed. The meeting also heard from two women, one from Syria and one from Eritrea, who shared some of their personal stories.
A spokesperson for the diocese said many parishes are currently exploring how they might offer their support, services, time and commitment to supporting the integration of refugees through practical actions.
“Crosscare in conjunction with parishes continue to examine how best they can harness the good will within our communities to welcome people arriving and plan how we can respond in both the short and long term in meeting the varied needs of people,” she said.