Over the past five years, our Diocese of Ottawa leads the country in per capita refugee sponsorships -
something of which we can be proud.

 

General Information

The Refugee Ministry at the Church of Saint Bartholomew works through the Refugee program at the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. The Diocese is the Sponsorship Agreement Holder. The Diocese makes the official application on our behalf, and the Diocese trusts that we will raise the funds, engage volunteers and provide an appropriate level of support for our refugee families.

Sometimes monies are raised, and then at some point in the application process, a family is denied access to Canada. If this happens, with the approval of Parish Council, we divert those funds to different refugee situations, both within our parish and by helping other churches with their refugee programs.

The refugee team at the Church of Saint Bartholomew is chaired by Gina Watson with assistance from Jake Harding, Karen McClure and Liz Heatherington.

 

The Syrian Families

In 2014 we began the process to sponsor a refugee family from Syria. In November 2016 they arrived in Ottawa, and the family of five began their life in Canada. They have successfully learned English , found jobs and the three children have done very well in  school .  It is a true delight that our parish celebrated the granting of Canadian Citizenship to this family earlier this year, 2023.  

In 2017  that  family asked us to support their relatives - a family of 5 who arrived in May 2022.  They have also flourished, are learning English, secured jobs and the three children are doing well - the youngest in school and the two older twins studying to complete their secondary school diplomas, as well as working part time.

We would like to thank all members of our congregation for their support over the years to assist these two fine families.   Thank you for your prayers, your service and for your financial gifts. 

 

The South Sudanese Family

We are working now to secure the arrival of a family from South Sudan.

Naight Rose is a member of St Bart’s. Her sister, Harriet, and family of five children have been in a refugee camp in East Africa since 2014.   Harriet's application is in process, but the current unrest within Sudan and the area means there could be more delays. Rose’s family and friends will be fully involved in helping Harriet's family to settle once they arrive.

We sincerely hope that you will be able to support us so we may bring this family to Canada as soon as the application is approved.

Harriet’s family will require $ 29,384 (plus extra funds for contingency) to resettle. We already have a significant amount of money towards this goal but we ask for further support to reach our target and raise enough funds for this sponsorship.