By Ellen, with photos contributed by Susan and Wendy
By now, most people in Ottawa have probably seen the debate about the city’s plan to build new welcome centres for asylum seekers, who are currently sleeping in shelters or makeshift spaces in community centres. Some people think it’s a creative way to relieve pressure on the shelter system and give newcomers the support they need (spoiler alert: I’m one of them), some people support the idea in general but argue “not in my backyard”, and some oppose spending any money on refugee services at all.
I saw a lot of misinformed (and sometimes blatantly racist) comments about the plan online, but most of all I was upset by how unwelcoming the conversation was. Canada should be better than that. We have always been a destination for people who want a better life or who are fleeing dangerous situations.
So when I heard that Refugee 613 was organizing a rally in support of newcomers, I was keen to participate. It turned out I wasn’t the only one: we had a small delegation from Holy Rosary! I met up with my fellow parishioners after Mass on November 17 and we carpooled to the event together.
Several hundred people attended the rally, waving “refugees welcome” signs. They brought their kids, they brought their friends, they brought their dogs… and their warm clothes, because it’s November in Ottawa!
The speakers explained how these welcome centres will work (they are not tents, despite the rumours!), why they are needed, and how they will help new arrivals integrate into Ottawa life. Some shared personal stories about immigrant and refugee contributions to Ottawa over the years. Refugee 613 also handed out FAQs to try and correct the misinformation that has been spreading about the plan:
I have attended plenty of rallies and protests, but this was one of the most positive. Most rallies are protesting something, so it was a pleasant change to be cheering in favour of a policy. There were some counter-protestors, unsurprisingly. One was waving a sign reading “Send them back,” but they hopefully had a chance to hear the stories about how immigrants and refugees have enriched Ottawa.
Since this rally was organized in support of effective housing for newcomers, it was also a great opportunity for us to spread the news about Holy Rosary’s longstanding support for refugees – and in particular, our partnership with Matthew House. After a huge effort from parish volunteers and friends in the neighbourhood, Matthew House has moved into the rectory building and five newcomers are already living there! Many city councillors attended the rally and we seized the opportunity to talk to several of them about the parish project.
During the event, our parish group ran into likeminded people who support social justice issues, including Development and Peace representatives from across the archdiocese, and staff from Matthew House. The atmosphere was energetic!
This was a perfect occasion to bring our faith out of the church building and into the world. Catholic teaching’s emphasis on social justice, care for the poor and the vulnerable, and stewardship of our environment have always resonated strongly with me. As the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops wrote in its pastoral letter on welcoming refugees in 2015:
Even the child Jesus himself was a refugee when his family fled the persecution of King Herod (Matthew 2.13-14). In the early Church, welcoming the migrant took on new meaning. First of all, the presence of refugees reminds us of our own situation in this world, where we are aliens and exiles (1 Peter 2.11). Most importantly, we must recall that Christ came to save all humanity, and that in him God, who excludes no one, breaks down the ethnic, social, and cultural barriers that separate and that build walls and lead to violence. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37), Jesus teaches us a paradoxical truth: the stranger is actually our neighbour. Finally, in the text of the Last Judgment, Christ not only invites us to welcome the weak and the dispossessed, he even identifies himself with the smallest, the fragile, and those left behind by society, among whom, in particular, are our contemporary refugees: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25.35).
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Our faith calls us to let ourselves be moved – even disturbed – by our sisters and brothers who are refugees. They await our listening ears, our open hearts, and our outstretched arms to receive them. Welcoming those whose lives are marked by hardship, poverty, and uncertainty is not only a moral duty, it is a constitutive act of the Church’s life.
-Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
I am proud that, as one of my fellow parishioners said on Sunday, Holy Rosary “punches above our weight” in this area. It was rewarding to join so many others to show our belief that Ottawa can be an inclusive and welcoming city.
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