Chichester Cathedral joins Christians worldwide in praying for refugees and taking action in supporting those seeking sanctuary in our city and surrounding area.
People are arriving in our Diocese in great need, having lost everything and suffered extreme trauma. Soon this number will increase as we welcome refugees fleeing Ukraine. With our partners in the city, we are committed to warmly welcoming them, helping them to survive, integrate and thrive.
The Cathedral’s Canon Chancellor, the Reverend Dr Daniel Inman, said:
“We are already beginning to see Ukrainians coming to the Cathedral seeking support and we have been working with the experienced staff at Sanctuary in Chichester to help them find a safe home, receive pastoral support and ongoing care. The struggle is not just among Ukrainians fleeing war zones, of course, and the Diocese has already been working hard to look after Afghan refugee families, for example (using empty vicarages). We know that there is a vast reserve of goodwill and capacity in our congregations and volunteer community to provide further support for refugees entering our area and we will continue to work with our partners to explore how best to meet their complex emotional and physical needs.”
We invite you to join us in taking action in the following ways:
By praying
Chichester Cathedral is open daily, for prayer and reflection, for all. We continue to pray for refugees and those seeking sanctuary. We have a designated space for prayer, reflection and to light a candle specifically for Ukraine.
You may wish to use the prayer below:
O God,
it is your will to hold both heaven and earth
in a single peace.
Let the design of your great love
shine on the waste of our wraths and sorrows,
and give peace to Ukraine,
peace among nations,
and peace in our hearts,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
By donating time and money
Sanctuary in Chichester supports refugees and asylum seekers locally. Sanctuary is part of the wider City of Sanctuary movement and became a registered charity (no. 1181855). To offer your support, by either making a financial donation or volunteering your time, please click here.
By hosting refugees, including those from Ukraine
If you can host refugees from Ukraine in your home, you can become a ‘sponsor’ as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Further information can be found here.
If you are part of a Church
The Church of England has published a helpful ‘toolkit’ of resources for those seeking to help which can be found here and we encourage you to share the work, and call for support, of the Sanctuary Foundation in its work in supporting and hosting refugees.
We continue to speak regularly with local organisations and charities to further understand how we can support the refugee crisis. We welcome suggestions or recommendations on how we can further respond but at the moment we are taking our cue from the experienced and well-connected staff at Sanctuary in Chichester.
We will shortly be announcing a number of events and activities raising vital funds and awareness. Further details will be published on the Cathedral website.
We are also building a voluntary team to provide practical support, as we become more aware of the needs of refugees entering our area. This may be providing a warm welcome, buddying with individuals to show them the Cathedral and introduce them to our community, or even translating materials and resources should you speak another language. If you are interested, please contact us directly:
E: communications@chichestercathedral.org.uk