Maisons Laffitte

Maisons Laffitte just outside of Paris is receiving a large influx of refugees from Ukraine.

Revd Charlotte Sullivan said "the church is responding in as many ways as we can, we are currently hosting 3 refugees in the vicarage. We have also set up a drop-in coffee morning twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 am to 12 pm. This is a space where the guests from Ukraine can meet and socialise. At each meeting, we try to have at least 3 translators, and so far we have helped with everything from a very difficult visa application to an emergency health problem. We are also working closely with two humanitarian aid agencies in Paris and Yveline."

Bergen Anglican Church

The Bergen Anglican Church welcomed around 30 people to their 11:00 service in Mariakirken on 20 March.

They shared on Facebook "Some 350 refugees are now living at the Thon Hotel Orion, only 100 yards away from Mariakirken. Through our conversations, these good people shared with us their shock and grief along with the many challenges they are facing as they relocate into a foreign land. Many thanks to Hallgeir Berge, the leader of KIA in Bergen for his partnership in helping to make our service known and available to them. Our hearts go out to all those who are displaced at this time. Please continue to pray for this vulnerable group of people, and we hope that by the grace of God, our congregation can continue to be a source of hope, strength, and spiritual support not only today but in the weeks and months ahead."

Holy Ghost, Genoa

Holy Ghost, Genoa donated 6 large bags full of clothes and shoes from its own clothing bank to the bank which is being coordinated by members of the local Ukrainian (Eastern Rite Catholic) congregation and Caritas Genova at the historic Church of Santo Stefano. Santo Stefano is the Ukrainians' home church in Genoa and has been the central point for all Church-based aid both for Ukraine and for Ukrainian refugees in Genova.

The Ospedale Evangelico Internazionale has also sent a truckload of medical supplies, ranging from ventilators and intubation kits to boxes of surgical gauze, as part of the local health authority's contribution to the aid effort. The "Evangelico", as it is known locally, was founded in 1857 by the Protestant Churches of the city, including the Church of the Holy Ghost. The Anglican chaplain, Revd Canon Tony Dickinson, like his Lutheran and Waldensian counterparts, is still a member ex officio of the hospital's Board of Management.

If you have a story to share about how your chaplaincy is supporting Ukrainian refugees, email communications@europe.anglican.org