On Friday, September 23, SCJs in Ottawa welcomed Andre Boulad, a 22-year-old Syrian refugee. He is staying at the community house on Daly Street until an apartment is ready for him and his family in mid-October. His mother and sister are expected to join him soon; other family members, including an uncle, are already in the area.
“With the urgent need for Syrian refugees to find a new homeland in view of the unending civil war, each of the Canadian Region’s communities made a commitment to sponsor a Syrian family,” said Fr. John van den Hengel, regional superior of Canada. “With the close of the federal government sponsorship program on February 29 the application by the Ottawa community got in just under the wire for a second wave of privately-sponsored refugee families on March 31.”
Although the community was expecting the family sometime in fall, they didn’t have a specific date until last Monday when they learned that Andre would be in Ottawa by the end of the week. Then it was a quick scramble to get things organized for the family. The SCJs are working with volunteers, including members of Resurrection parish, in assisting the family.
