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Refugee Resettlement Ministry: Model of Stewardship Serving Others with the Greatest Hospitality
The Refugee Resettlement Ministry is a preeminent model of stewardship. The fruits of the ministry are directly tied to the four pillars of stewardship — hospitality, prayer, formation, and service — and are achieved by the sacrifice of the volunteer’s time, talent, and treasure.
This ministry works with the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) to welcome those who are in great need to America. By partnering with other local charities and agencies, the ministry hosts one or two refugee families a year. Each family is assisted in finding housing, work, and schooling. The goal is to help these families assimilate into American society as quickly as possible so that they can thrive on their own.
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For the past 15 years, Jerome Harrison has participated in the ministry and helped dozens of immigrating families find peace, comfort, and security as they flee to America.
“Our ultimate mission is to help migrants, who come here with nothing, regain a sense of dignity,” Jerome says. “At the end of the day our ministry is to follow Matthew 25:35, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.’”
When a family arrives in America as refugees, the USCRI will ask Our Lady of Lourdes to host them. Upon accepting the family, Jerome and his small team in the Refugee Resettlement Ministry swing into full force.
“The first thing we do is help them find housing,” Jerome says. “As a community sponsor, it is our responsibility to furnish the home and outfit it with all of the necessities like cookware, dishes, bedding, towels, and clothes.”
The refugees that the ministry works with most often have nothing but the clothes on their backs. As such, they are in great need of help to simply survive. The ministry receives a small stipend from the parish to support these families and works with other local charities to collect all of the items.
“In addition, we also provide them with two weeks’ worth of food,” Jerome says. “This helps them get acclimated to grocery stores and allows them to focus on other things.”
Once the family is moved in, the ministry’s work continues as it helps the migrants find jobs, enroll their children in school, and to establish a reliable source of transportation.
The families that the Refugee Resettlement Ministry take in come from all over the world.
“The most recent families are coming because of persecution,” Jerome says. “We are assisting a family who has fled the Taliban. Many of our families are coming from the Congo to escape the devastating effects of the war. And others are fleeing religious persecution from Vietnam.”
“I have worked with families who have never known life outside of refugee camps,” Jerome adds.
The work that the Refugee Resettlement Ministry does is truly a labor of love. The ministry members, like Jerome, give much of their time to these families. They have to use all of their resources to help these families with the fine details of job applications, taxes, and other tasks that we all face in our daily lives. The team checks in on the families once a month to make sure that they are doing well.
The hospitality shown by the Refugee Resettlement Ministry is unmatched and is a testament to the service that the ministry offers.
“We have to take the time to get to know the families,” Jerome says.
This ministry is not just about providing the bare necessities but is truly about helping others rebuild their lives. It is an intimate and demanding ministry, but the fruits are well worth it.
“I see Christ in these people,” Jerome says. “I view this ministry as my vocation. It bolsters my faith and makes me thankful.”
