Press Releases16 Jun 25

Marking World Refugee Day/Week and Sanctuary Sunday

In this Refugee Week, Church of Ireland churches are invited to build a culture of welcome, hospitality and safety for refugees, by marking this year’s World Refugee Day (20th June) and Sanctuary Sunday (22nd June).

Churches are encouraged to use the ‘Our Church welcomes refugees’ video on their social media channels, through local schools and parish organisations, or at their Sunday services.  The video is available here:

 https://youtu.be/kg0npL-z5kE?si=jI892K3kUSBeBaxx

The video highlights stories from Church of Ireland churches and related ministries on how they welcome and integrate refugees.  It includes interviews with Helen Livingstone and David Maganda from All Nations Ministries in Belfast, and the Revd Abigail Sines and Dr Naomi Masheti from the Carraig Centre and Cork Migrant Centre. It seeks to inspire and encourage local churches to support refugees not only in this year’s Refugee Week but at any time throughout the year.

Friday marks the annual United Nations World Refugee Day.  Refugee Week (from 16th to 22nd June) has developed around the world to honour people who have been forced to flee, primarily through the medium of arts and culture.

Sanctuary Sunday (22nd June) is marked at the end of Refugee Week and aims to promote the Church of Sanctuary programme, which has been developed by the former President of the British Methodist Conference, the Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal. This year’s theme is ‘Sanctuary: The Hospitality of Host, Guest and Stranger’.

For liturgical resources for Sanctuary Sunday, see: https://churchofsanctuary.org/sanctuary-church-sunday

 ‘Our Church welcomes refugees’ was produced by Pelumi Adewuyi for the Primate’s Reference Group on Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice, and the project was funded by the Church of Ireland Priorities Fund.

Shared on behalf of the Primate’s Reference Group on Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice