Working Group on Refugees

For more information, please contact Sr. Mary Kerber [email protected] 651-429-7771 option 1.

(Posted 11/9/2022)

Refugee Presentation by Aine Mickelson

One of our parishioners and refugee mentors, Aine Mickelson, shares her experience in this video of mentoring refugees as well as our parish’s collaboration with Lutheran Social Services. This talk was originally given by Aine at the Community Night on October 26 here at St. Mary’s.

View Video

(Posted 10/18/2022)

Earlier this month the choral group “Together in Hope” presented a concert entitled

The Stranger. The music was written by Kim André Arnesen, the words were poetry and scripture from around the world.

From China we heard “We carry tears in our eyes, good-bye father, good-bye mother, we carry names, stories, memories of our village, fields, boats.”

From the Hindu tradition we heard “The guest is as God. Let a person never turn away a stranger from his house. Good people say to the stranger: ‘there is enough food for you.’”

From the Koran we heard “Do good unto your parents, your kin, and unto orphans, the needy, the neighbor from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger.”

From Marty Haugen we heard “all are welcome in this place”.

St. Mary of the Lake is responding to Pope Francis in his call to welcome, promote, protect, and integrate the refugee. On October 26 our Community of Encounter evening will be dedicated to listening, praying, and acting in support of those whose lives have been upended from war, climate disaster, and political crises. Your presence will be a witness to the commitment of Christians around the world who listen to Jesus’ question “who is my neighbor?”

The evening begins at 6:30 PM in Kohler Hall.

(Posted 8/31/2022)

“It takes a Village”. ..Hillary Rodman Clinton,

Little did we know when we signed up to be mentors for our new Afghan refugees that it would involve so many facets of everyday life….which is easy for us, but difficult for our friends to navigate.

Three weeks ago, one of our moms had an emergency c-section to bring her little girl into this world. She had a difficult pregnancy that was followed very closely by the medical and social service staff

at Hennepin County Medical Center. We brought baby, mom, and dad home to their apartment in Bloomington. They were fortunate that H’s employer (Walmart) allowed him to stay home with M for

two weeks. We checked in, brought formula and baby needs and we felt all was progressing as expected.

Three weeks later I received a What’s App message very early in the morning from H. He said “I need you to come here now.” He included a picture of the hospital they were in. He indicated “baby was over also”.

I called the hospital to investigate details and yes M had been admitted during the night. Off to M Health Fairview Southdale. I (Carol Stehly) arrived and saw the relief on M’s face when I walked into the room.

She now needed gall bladder surgery. But the immediate need was the baby. No formula! Off to the nursing station to locate formula at the hospital which I thought should have been easy. Wrong.

Eventually the formula arrived followed by a pack n’ play provided by the hospital. The three of us laughed as we tried to put this bed together and stabilize it for the baby.

The day was filled with doctor visits, translators, nurses, blood draws….etc. This would be difficult for any of us but not understanding the language and being only 20 years old was very frightening to M. She did

not want more surgery when she had not even recovered from the last one. I could not be there the next morning for the surgery so Julie (another mentor) rearranged her schedule so she could be there. Julie

brought more formula. Again, they were happy to see a familiar face. She was blessed with babysitting the infant so H could go to the surgery area with M.

Now the chaos started. M arrived back in the room, baby was crying, medical staff were doing their continual checks and H had not eaten for two days. Social service was working on home care, transportation and follow ups.

I took H to the cafeteria to eat but when we arrived, he asked if the food was Halal food. Well, it was not. So, we purchased muffins, KIND bars and Mountain Dew. I then called our Pashto translator and he said he would bring H

some food for dinner that evening.

Back to the hospital the next morning. We were fortunate to hear the hospital had arranged for a transport home for all and a follow up nurse visit early next week.

Lutheran Social Services is the lead agency on the relocation so I needed to alert them and have paperwork completed so they could facilitate the hospital relationship.

Today I went to their apartment to visit, and all appeared in control. All were happy and smiling. M was uncomfortable but doing ok. As usual they are very gracious and

offered tea and a snack. What I ate I do not know. M told me she loved us through sign language. As I left, I had tears in my eyes. I felt I was abandoning her. I knew

many people had worked together to make this unpleasant experience the best possible for our new friends. Again, they speak no English and we do not speak Pashto.

But I did say to H “English School-Yes”. He shook his head in the affirmative and said, “Yes English-School”.

(Posted 8/23/2022)

Do grapes belong in the freezer? By Carol Stehly

Visits with our refugee families always are an adventure, a learning experience for all of us, and very humorous at times.

Last week was all of these. We made a special visit on Saturday as H and M requested us to come. The translated message we received on What’s App made it appear that the request was urgent. We looked at our weekend schedules and decided Anie and I could visit. They were waiting for us when we arrived. Of course, our first interest was to visit the newborn baby girl we had help bring home from the hospital about a week earlier. She was sleeping and looked so sweet and content.

Next as we always do, we unloaded the items we had brought along. They liked ice cream as a special treat, so we unloaded the containers and indicated they were to be put in the freezer. Next, we started unloading the fresh fruit and baby formula. When we looked up, we saw all was in the freezer…ice cream…fruit and formula. We all laughed together and adjusted the groceries accordingly.

The learning curve is steep. Anie had brought new baby bottles as the old ones were the very small ones from the hospital. M was looking at the directions and we saw her concern. We drew a picture of the bottle and four scoops and demonstrated how to fill the bottles.

At this point we were wondering about the urgency of the call so we called our trusty interrupter. M is recovering from a c-section from childbirth. It appears she is alone almost all of the time as H is working full-time at Walmart. She is very lonely as they were placed in an apartment where there are no Afghan people nearby. She is 20 years, a new mom, and no one to talk to. She is afraid to leave the apartment by herself. H is concerned about her. He feels it would be better for her if they moved to an area closer to his work and into an apartment with other Afghan families. H knows there is one available.

After much back and forth using the interrupter, we understood his lease on the current apartment. We told him we would check into the situation with Lutheran Social Services and see if we could help them. I feel they trust us so genuinely that they thought we could help them with their situation that day.

We suggested maybe we could pick up M a few times a week and take her to the other area to visit. They said they would consider this.

We exited with the usual very gracious thank you’s from H and M but felt a little sad. We had hugged and held the little baby girl, hugged M but left a very lonely, sad mom behind. This left us feeling empty.

We know and realize our limits. We do not quite understand their life experiences or what they are thinking each time we leave. We have developed a special place in our hearts for our new friends and hope that we can be special advocates to bring them to a good life here in Minnesota. H says “I love Minnesota.”

A little aside. A real joy appeared when we visited the newborn in the hospital and H proudly said to us as he pointed at the baby “United States Citizen”.

(Posted 7/27/2022)

EID PICNIC FOR AFGHAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN 2022

I, Julie Wodicka, am one of the refugee mentors here at St. Mary’s of the Lake. Recently I attended an Eid Picnic (Eid marks the end of Ramadan, a season of fasting for Muslims) for Afghan Women and Children. Eid in Arabic means “feast, festival, holiday. This event was held at a park in Bloomington and was sponsored by CAPI, Afghan Cultural Society and Building Blocks. All of which are non-profits that are helping to support the Afghan Refugees living here in Minnesota.

I thought I would be attending the event with our two friends, M & Z. However, neither of them was able to attend the picnic. I was contacted by one the originators of the event to see if I could provide transportation for a mother and 3 small children who didn’t have a way to get there. Without hesitation I said “Yes”.

I received a phone number for the mom, so I gave her a call. She speaks very little English, and I don’t speak Pashto. Through her husband (who speaks a little English) and her oldest daughter (who understands English quite will) we were able to communicate. She said they would love to attend the picnic and were grateful I could get them there and back.

The day of the picnic was sunny and promising to be hot. I picked the family up in Minneapolis, they were all smiling and happy, and we drove to Bloomington. I had no idea what to expect once we arrived. We parked the vehicle and took a path up a small hill. At the top we found a picnic shelter full of beautifully dressed Afghan women and children who had already arrived. The mother I brought immediately found another mom she knew. The children, ages 3, 5 and 7, ran to the playground nearby to play, big smiles on all their faces. Meanwhile I stepped aside and observed this wonderful gathering.

I estimate there were 250 – 300 Afghan women and children who attended. They ate pizza, fruit, and some traditional Afghan sweets. After eating a band played Afghan music and some danced! Behind the scenes there were tables filled with children’s toys and more tables filled with baskets of food staples and spices, and under the tables there were boxes of diapers. As the day came to an end the children were invited to choose a toy to take home and the women each received a basket of food and diapers if needed.

The women said their goodbye, gathered their children and headed for home. My vehicle contained three tired and happy children! It was fun to spend the day watching these families connect and have a great time in their new home, Minnesota!

(Posted 7/5/2022)

An Unplanned Day with our Refugee Friends – By Carol Stehly

The only item on my agenda today was an eye doctor appointment. Yesterday we thought we might visit with two of our mentees but they had not responded to our phone call.

The day changed quickly. I received a text from Aine about 10:00 that the meeting was back on so we would leave about 12:15. So I needed to finish my appointment, drive back to White Bear from the University to pick up the vacuum (which Julie had dropped off the night before) we had promised to bring, buy fruit (we usually bring a basket of fruit), and meet Aine.

We met at 12:15 to drive to Bloomington to meet H and M. We called when we arrived and he met us at the door. He is always so gracious to help us carry all of our deliveries in.

H had an agenda. He had gotten a television from Alight the previous week and had not been able to figure out the set up. (Manuals are written in English). So here we have two women, one who has no technical ability at all and Aine who has some technical skills. Aine found the antenna and figured out when to plug it in. She tried the remote and we partially succeeded but alas we needed to call our television tech guy (my husband) who then walked Aine through the set up. She was able to connect to the local channels, but no cable! (They do have cable in the apartment.) We did not have a connecting cable so next week we will return with the required cable to finish the set up.

He also wanted us to show him how to operate the vacuum.

We asked him if he was using the washer and dryer that Julie and Michael had shown him how to use last week. He told us it was working fine.

One of our goals of the day was to enroll the family in the VEAP Food Shelf Program. We were having difficulty communicating this, so we called our standby interrupter, and we were fortunate to find him available. He explained to H what we planned to do. H and M also wanted to go to Target as they thought their gift card might expire.

So, the four of us squeezed in a small car and ventured to the Food Shelf. We did not have an appointment but we explained the situation and we were able to enroll them so they can get groceries twice a month. We did pick up an emergency food bag along with other special items. We set up an appointment for him to return in two weeks for food shopping.

Our car was now full but off to Target for our next stop. Aine and I stayed at the entrance while they shopped for what they wanted. Aine was concerned that all purchases might not fit in the car but we did have a backup plan.

After forty minutes we started looking for them in Target. They were about done shopping. Luckily all fit in the car and we drove them back to their home.

They invited us to stay but we declined as they both looked tired.

One sweet observation was that M had bought a small wristwatch at Target and all the way home in the car she kept looking at it. I think it was a special treat.

All of this was completed with us only speaking English and H and M only speaking Pashto.

(Posted 6/21/2022)

When the parish agreed to support refugees in their transition to American life, the Justice Peace and Outreach Commission invited St. Mary’s parishioners to become mentors to refugees. Following training and background checks, this newly formed welcome committee of seven set out to take Pope Francis’ words to heart, to “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate” those who have had to flee their homes in order to stay safe. Our eyes, as well as our hearts, have been opened to the difficulties and the hopes that these families have experienced. We have been welcomed into one-bedroom apartments, struggled to make ourselves understood to each other, laughed together at our linguistic troubles, and promised to see each other again soon.

After a particularly busy day communicating, researching, texting, placing phone calls and emails, I thought I’d jot down the variety of tasks this group has taken on. We currently support four households with a total of six people (the seventh is on the way). The following “day in the life” gives you an idea of our experience. The times may vary, but the dedication and goodwill are reliable! I have used only the first initial of the names of our refugee families.

A Day In the Life of the Refugee Mentors Kathryn and Michael Lien, Julie Wodicka, Carol Stehly, Aine Mickelson, and Maureen and Mark Sather.

7:30 AM: Kathryn’s nephew, Patrick, texts her, offering an almost new mattress, if one of our refugees would like it. Quickly, Kathryn sends a message, which first is written on Google translate from English to Pashto, and then copied to WhatsApp, to Sa, whose bed is broken, wondering if a queen-size mattress would fit in his apartment. “I am happy” is the reply that means, yes, please. We agree to deliver the mattress Wednesday evening at 7 pm.

8:00 AM: Julie sends an email with details outlining ESL possibilities in the south metro, where our refugee friends are living. They include contacts with the LiteracyMN and Lyndale Education Program. Aine has researched the International Institute of Mn. Julie also looked into health care possibilities for MJ and Z, who work for a food provider for aircraft at the airport.

8:30 AM: Carol and Kathryn discovered, on their last trip to see H and M, that M’s baby is due in THREE weeks, not SIX weeks. Carol is locating and contacting food shelves, WIC information, and well-baby centers. Kathryn contacts our favorite interpreter, K, to see if he can meet the group with H and M on Tuesday afternoon.

9:00 AM: Kathryn sends off a driver’s manual in the Pushto language to MJ, who wants to learn to drive. After several phone calls and a visit to the DMV, Mark has managed to find a driver’s manual in paper form rather than online, for Su, who also wants to learn to drive, but prefers his manual in English.

11:30 AM: Aine, who had to fly back to Ireland to see a dear friend, sends a long email describing what she’s learned about Afghan culture. Her extensive reading enlightens us as we learn more about how to interact with our new friends.

1:00 PM: Kathryn contacts Richfield Parks and Recreation, to find out about pick-up soccer games. Sa would love to play. Mark is checking in with city administrators in Richfield, Bloomington, and Edina, to learn about opportunities for immigrants and refugees in those cities.

3:30 PM: K texts Kathryn that he has been successful in setting up a meeting on Tuesday at 5:00. However, his car is in the shop, could he ask to have someone pick him up?

4:30 PM: After a few texts and WhatsApp conversations, Carol, Maureen, and Julie agree on leaving White Bear Lake on Tuesday at 3:45 for a 5:00 visit with K and H and M. K’s car is repaired so they go straight to the apartment. At that meeting arrangements will be made for Michael to take H and M to Alight, the non-profit that offers household goods to refugees for free. H and M hope to find a television and a vacuum cleaner, and a baby swing. Oh—and M’s baby is due in six weeks, not three. Whew.

St. Mary’s is committed to partnering with Lutheran Social Services to serve as mentors to refugees. If you wish to contribute to our on-going support, contributions can be placed in the collection -please indicate “for Refugee Outreach”.

(Posted 6/6/2022)

Our Refugee Working Group has been busy these past few weeks. Through Lutheran Social Service’s Circle of Welcome program, our team has been matched with four refugee households, comprised of two married couples and two single men. All six of these men and women are from Afghanistan and were part of the evacuation that took place in late August 2021. They are far from home and miss friends and family but are also grateful to be safe and looking forward to finding their way in a new country.

The match meetings, which have been taking place in the last two weeks, bring together our liaison from LSS, members of our refugee working group, an interpreter, and the refugees themselves. Our conversations, though halting and formal, have been insightful and promising in the hope of finding friendships that will continue beyond our 90-day mentorship program.

As we build relationships with our new friends, we want to help integrate their lives with all that Minnesota has to offer. There are certainly things they need. For example, there are certain household goods that would make life easier, bus routes to school and work to check out, finding nearby parks to enjoy. Each refugee needs space to learn and practice English. If you or someone you know, knows of ESL programs offered in the south metro, please give us a call.

The United States is opening its borders to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. There are refugees from Myanmar, Somalia, Haiti, and South America looking for safety and refuge. On behalf of St Mary of the Lake, JPOC has taken the steps needed to build a foundation of welcome. Our work has just begun, and we look forward to it taking root to become an ongoing program of support and accompaniment to those fleeing danger from anywhere. We need your prayers, your attention to legislation and public policy regarding refugees, your creativity in finding ways to welcome, and finally, your presence as mentor. Contact Kathryn Lien ([email protected]) or Carol Stehly ([email protected]) to find out more.

Are you wondering about refugees in Minnesota? Here is a story from MPR’s Minnesota Now.

Go to https://www.mprnews.org/shows/minnesotanow. Look for June 2, 2022. The story begins at 34:55.

(Posted 5/24/2022)

Pope Francis, from the beginning of his papacy, has held the plight of the migrant and refugee in his most fervent prayer. In his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees of 2018, he asks us all to “welcome, promote, protect, and integrate” our sisters and brothers as they find themselves displaced from home and country.

Our own Refugee Working Group has sent out the call to welcome the stranger. We now have seven refugee mentors who have taken the step to support, on behalf of St. Mary of the Lake parish, those who have come to Minnesota as refugees from Afghanistan. They are:

Kathryn and Michael Lien
Aine Mickelson
Maureen and Mark Sather
Carol Stehly
Julie Wodicka

Please keep these mentors, as well as the households they will meet, in your prayers.

(Posted 5/24/2022)
In the Omnibus Workforce Bill of the 2022 Minnesota State Legislature, an Office of New Americans would be created within the department to serve immigrants and refugees in the state and coordinate programs to integrate new Americans into the workforce. A coordinating committee would include members from Departments of Health, Education, Corrections and Public Safety, among others.

(Posted 4/6/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

As our parish prepares to choose and train mentors for Afghan refugees, you may want to learn more by listening to a recent broadcast by NPR, “Meeting the Challenge of a New Life in America”. This broadcast exposes us to the situation of Afghan refugees in the US, how the organization welcome. US is assisting and some thoughts on the 100,000 Ukrainians that the US is open to receiving.

https://the1a.org/segments/meeting-the-challenge-of-a-new-life-in-america/

(Posted 4/4/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

This week’s book recommendation: Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis. You will find many reviews and commentaries online. Here’s one: https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/many-and-one-0

(Posted 3/28/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

This week check out the Center for Migration Studies of New York (www.cmwny.org) This resource gathers news on migration throughout the world and brings it to you in one newsletter, delivered weekly. Stories and reports from a variety of news sources are included as well as the latest from the USCCB.

Our book recommendation this week: After the Last Border, by Jessica Gandeau. You can find a review of this memoir of two refugee women and their journey to safety HERE.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

(Posted 12/14/2022)

Christmas Refugee Reflection – View Here

Afghan Adjustment Act – View Here

Form to contact legislators regarding the Afghan Adjustment Act

(Posted 11/4/2022)

On Wednesday, October 26, the Refugee Working Group sponsored an evening of encounter as part of our ongoing Community Night series. Representatives from Lutheran Social Services Lynn Mullin and Kara Barkman helped us understand their work in helping to resettle refugees and immigrants coming to the United States. As part of that presentation Lynn and Kara offered several ways to help support our neighbors through donations. Those present were eager to help out in the many ways available. You will find these suggestions on this flyer of Donations and Volunteer Opportunities. In addition, you can learn more about The Circle of Welcome, the process we at St. Mary of the Lake participated in this past year. We hope to organize another Circle of Welcome in early 2023.

Circle of Welcome and Donation and Volunteer Information

Please contact Kathryn Lien at [email protected] to learn more or to make a commitment to refugee support.

(Posted 9/9/2022)

The Justice, Peace and Outreach Commission Invites you to open your arms and embrace refugees through ALIGHT as it welcomes Afghan families to Minnesota. Like many communities across the country, Minnesota has welcomed hundreds of refugees from war-torn and economically devastated regions of the world.

ALIGHT, headquartered in Minneapolis, has sent volunteer relief teams to 19 countries and is active here creating welcoming homes for Afghan refugees. ALIGHT helps displaced families resettle and build meaningful new lives in a confusing new homeland. ALIGHT serves refugees, the trafficked person and economic migrants through home set-up, family sponsorship, job assistance, translators and social programs.

With the help of many hands, ALIGHT collected furniture and necessities to create 150 new homes for refugees from Afghanistan. New beginnings are hard so ALIGHT is now addressing the social isolation and loneliness many refugees experience once relocated.

St. Mary’s of the Lake parishioners can make a meaningful difference by supporting their work. With many refugee families settled in their homes, ALIGHT invites financial gifts and volunteers to now help the newcomers forge bonds with friends and meet fellow Afghan families since many are struggling with loneliness and isolation. ALIGHT is starting safe and calm sewing socials for the women, cricket, soccer and field trips for youth and opportunities for our new neighbors to become rooted, thrive and learn about Minnesota.

We, who live in an abundance of safety and fellowship, are called to embrace and comfort our brothers and sisters who arrive with so little. ALIGHT Donation & Volunteer Opportunities can be found on the website: WeAreAlight.org Schedule to volunteer at: timecounts.org/wearealight/forms65288.

Opportunities include fellowship, family sponsorship, warehouse marketplace shifts, childcare, and more. A short on-line training and security clearance are mandatory but easy to complete.

Contact Sr. Mary Kerber at [email protected] with questions.

(Posted 9/6/2022)

From Kathryn Lien, mentor, Afghan refugee group

As summer comes to a close, I am grateful for the many opportunities these months have offered to come to know our Afghan refugee friends. We have welcomed a new baby girl, found furniture for apartments, supplied bicycles, and hosted a gathering in a neighborhood park where friendship flourished, resulting in two young women promising to support each other as they make their way to a new life in the United States. As trust builds and English phrases blossom, we learn more and more about these young people, whose lives were turned upside-down last August, when they had to make the decision to stay in Afghanistan or leave the country. For some, as our friend S, the decision was made for him, as he knew if he stayed he would certainly be hunted down and killed by the Taliban. His work for the U.S. military makes him an enemy of the current government. He left behind his wife and five children. Every night, returning from his job at Walmart, he calls his family, encouraging them and praying that they might join him here soon.

In early August, the Afghan Adjustment Act was introduced into Congress. This legislation would give Afghans, now under ‘humanitarian parole” protection, a pathway to lawful permanent residency. This “adjustment” would clear the way for those who helped our military during the two-decades-long war to make their home in the United States. This bi-partisan legislation echoes adjustment acts that Congress historically passed for every other generation of U.S. wartime refugees. This is our opportunity to bring safety and the fulness of life to those who put their lives in danger to protect our troops.

How can you help? You can write to your senators and representatives to urge them to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act quickly. For much more information and a sample message to send to your legislators, go to https://www.votervoice.net/LIRS/campaigns/89654/respond. The PBS Newshour has a story of newly arrived Afghans that mirrors our own experiences with our refugee friends. Click here https://www.lirs.org/lirs-pbs-newshour-afghan-refugee-resettlement-one-year-later to watch.

Pope Francis has declared the weekend of September 24/25 as the Day of Migrants and Refugees. Following each of the masses that weekend you will be able to chat with those parishioners who have spent the summer building relationships with Afghan refugees. Take a moment to hear their stories and ask questions. We ask that you prayerfully consider joining the work in whatever way you can.

In the meantime, search out the stories of your ancestors—how they came to America, who they left behind, what they learned along the way. Then come and tell us your stories.

Team up with ALIGHT and welcome Afghan families to Minnesota

Like many communities across the country, Minnesota has welcomed hundreds of refugees from war-torn and economically devastated regions of the world. ALIGHT, headquartered in Minneapolis, has sent volunteer relief teams to19 countries and is active here creating welcoming homes for Afghan refugees.

ALIGHT helps displaced families resettle and build meaningful new lives in a confusing new homeland. ALIGHT serves refugees, the trafficked person and economic migrants through home set-up, family sponsorship, job assistance, translators, and social programs. With the help of many hands, ALIGHT collected furniture and necessities to create 150 new homes for refugees from Afghanistan.

New beginnings are hard so ALIGHT is now addressing the social isolation and loneliness many refugees experience once relocated. St. Mary’s of the Lake parishoners can make a meaningful difference by supporting their work.

With many refugee families settled in their homes, ALIGHT invites financial gifts and volunteers to help the newcomers forge bonds with friends and meet fellow afghan families as many are struggling with loneliness and isolation. Alight is starting safe and calm sewing socials for the women, cricket, soccer and field trips for youth and opportunities for our new neighbors to become rooted, thrive and learn about Minnesota.

We, who live in an abundance of safety and fellowship, are called to embrace and comfort our brothers and sisters who arrive with so little.

ALIGHT Donation & Volunteer Opportunities can be found on the website: WeAreAlight.org Schedule to volunteer at: timecounts.org/wearealight/forms65288.

Opportunities include fellowship, family sponsorship, marketplace shifts, childcare, and more. A short on-line training and security clearance are mandatory but easy to complete.

Contact Sr. Mary Kerber at [email protected] with questions.

(Posted 6/16/2022)

The United States is opening its borders to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. There are refugees from Myanmar, Somalia, Haiti, and South America looking for safety and refuge. On behalf of St. Mary of the Lake, JPOC has taken the steps needed to build a foundation of welcome. Our work has just begun, and we look forward to it taking root to become an ongoing program of support and accompaniment to those fleeing danger from anywhere. We need your prayers, your attention to legislation and public policy regarding refugees, your creativity in finding ways to welcome, and finally, your presence as mentor.

Contact Sr. Mary Kerber at [email protected] with questions.

(Posted 3/30/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

The International Institute of Minnesota (www.iimn.org) is a leader in local resettlement. At this website you will learn about the Afghan Adjustment Act, legislation moving its way through Congress. The Afghans torn from their homes in 2021 are currently under Temporary Protected Status, which does not allow them to proceed through channels that will end in citizenship. Passing legislation that would protect these evacuees is critical because obtaining asylum may be difficult or out of reach for many of them. Find out more and call your legislators.

This week’s book recommendation: Somewhere In the Unknown World by Kao Kalia Yang, the stories of thirteen refugees who now live in Minnesota. You can read a review here.

Please note: if you missed the LSS Zoom session on March 31 that gave information on becoming a mentor for refugees, please contact Sr. Mary Kerber and she will be able to send you a private link of the recording. Contact Sr. Mary Kerber at [email protected] with questions.

(Posted 3/16/2022)

St. Mary of the Lake and the Refugee Crisis

We have all seen the images of families fleeing for safety in these past months, most recently from Ukraine, but also from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, and other places around the globe. Minnesota has been and continues to be a safe haven for people whose lives have been disrupted through no fault of their own.

In response to the concern of parishioners regarding the plight of refugees from Afghanistan, the Justice, Peace, and Outreach Committee (JPOC) has begun the work to stand in solidarity with these brothers and sisters whose lives have been uprooted. Upon extensive research into the many organizations who help in this important work, our refugee working group has recommended Lutheran Social Services (LSS) and its Circle of Welcome. This program began several years ago and has many families and congregations who will attest to its effectiveness in bringing people together in friendship and support.

At the moment, LSS has settled all the families assigned to them from Afghanistan who have fled their country. However, there are still Afghans who are either single or married without children who also need support and are waiting for us to assist them in finding their way as they navigate this new way of life.

What do we need to do? First, we will say “yes” to the invitation from LSS to become a partner in refugee work. Second, we need to find 4-6 people who will act as mentors to our new friends for a 90-day period. Third, we will need more support to supply things like household goods, gift cards, linens, and anything else needed. Fourth, we will need people who can make a run to the airport, spend time helping people to learn and speak English, perhaps assist in opening a bank account. Fifth, we will need $1,225.00 per person for rent support. Finally, and always, we need to pray for peace and for the specific needs of our sisters and brothers throughout the world whose lives are in such disarray.

Want to learn more? The weekends of March 19-20 and 26-27 following each of the Masses, there will be a member of the Refugee Working Group to answer your questions as best we can. Emily Bingham from LSS will host an information session March 31 at 7 PM. Join via Zoom link here. Check the bulletin, Constant Contact, and the website.

Please contact Sr. Mary for more information, [email protected] or 651-429-7771 option 1.

Are you wondering about refugees in Minnesota? Here is a story from MPR’s Minnesota Now. Go to https://www.mprnews.org/shows/minnesotanow. Look for June 2, 2022. The story begins at 34:55.

(Posted 5/24/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

https://the1a.org/segments/meeting-the-challenge-of-a-new-life-in-america/

(Posted 4/4/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

This week’s book recommendation: Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis. You will find many reviews and commentaries online. Here’s one: https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/many-and-one-0

(Posted 3/28/2022)

Who Is My Neighbor? St. Mary’s Parish Welcomes Refugees

This week check out the Center for Migration Studies of New York (www.cmwny.org) This resource gathers news on migration throughout the world and brings it to you in one newsletter, delivered weekly. Stories and reports from a variety of news sources are included as well as the latest from the USCCB.

Our book recommendation this week: After the Last Border, by Jessica Gandeau. You can find a review of this memoir of two refugee women and their journey to safety HERE.

Working Group on Refugees

Please keep these mentors, as well as the households they will meet, in your prayers.

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