Families are originally from many countries including Somalia, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Many spent years in refugee camps. Others fled violence as asylum seekers.
Now, each is a neighbor and a friend.
The Basilica’s Refugee/Immigration Ministry has walked with 22 refugee and asylee families and counting since 2016. Each family has their own story, and each has inspired the volunteers on the Circle of Welcome and Accompaniment teams they’ve worked with.
There’s the young man from Ethiopia who thrived in college and is now a graduate. The asylum seeker who spent nearly six years working to reunite her family in the U.S. The Afghan family of 14, each of whom has sought ways to use their skills to support their family as they settle into their community.
And so the list goes on.
Get to know each family, and see where they have come from, by clicking the lines on this map:
Interested in joining the Refugee/Immigration Ministry and helping the Basilica welcome more new neighbors? Volunteers with our Circle of Welcome and Circle of Accompaniment teams work with families paired with the Basilica through Lutheran Social Services and Advocates for Human Rights. Teams help families settle in Minnesota by offering:
- Friendship and social engagement, by sharing meals and accompanying families on social outings
- Guidance as families learn about the culture, rules, and norms of their new country
- Help finding other resources families need, whether it’s secure housing, financial support, the right educational opportunities, or medical and dental care
Learn more about how you can help at mary.org/refugee-immigration-ministry/.
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Writer: Amanda K., communications volunteer with the Immigrant Support Ministry. Amanda and her family have been members of the Basilica since 2011. She is also involved in the Basilica’s marketing committee, and has been part of the JustFaith ministry and an Eucharistic Minister.