“You only have thirty minutes to pack up all your things and leave for a new land.” This was the orientation that a refugee couple from Ukraine received when the conflict with Russia began. This couple was practically the last one to leave the country together, because soon afterwards the orientation changed so that the men remained and only the women and children were able to leave. Stories like this have marked the work of the missionaries of the Shalom Catholic Community in Hungary, a country bordering Ukraine. The missionaries have carried out specific actions with the refugees, bringing comfort, hope and peace to the hearts of each one.
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Anderson da Silva, a missionary of the Life Community and responsible for the Shalom mission in Budapest, Hungary, shared about some of these actions that are being carried out. Before sharing about these activities, he commented that in the first days of the conflict the change in the routine of the city of Budapest was notorious, because according to the missionary, a significant amount of cars were passing through the streets, many coming from Ukraine. However, he points out that Hungary has actually been a crossing point, as refugees arrive and stay for a maximum of three days until they leave for other lands where reception work is being carried out, such as France, Spain and Germany.
Refugees from Ukraine in Budapest
Anderson says that the first action that the Community in Hungary did with the refugees took place at the very beginning of Lent.
“We gathered clothes and other items that we could donate to them. We went to a train station to bring the donations”
Another initiative was to meet a group of women and children who were being welcomed in a retreat house in another city, near Budapest. About fifteen members of the Community and people who are part of the Shalom Work, went to the place to spend a day with the refugees and carry out different activities, such as listening to them, playing with the children, and bringing hope. The house was organized from an initiative of the priest of the parish in which the mission serves actively. Anderson says that the priest is very involved in these social works, seeking to help the refugees. The priest lived for a while in Ukraine so he knows well these people and the pain they feel now.
It was also in the parish, where the Shalom mission is located in the city of Budapest, that Anderson and the other missionaries listened to the story of the couple who had only thirty minutes to pack up and flee the country.
“They had half an hour to pack up and leave the country. They were practically the last to leave, for soon after there was martial law and the men had to stay. They had to put their documents in a backpack and leave. The priest has arranged a temporary house for them”, says the consecrated missionary.
In addition to these concrete actions, Anderson reinforces that the activities of the Shalom mission in Budapest remain being carried out. In addition, members of the prayer groups and also members of the Community are intensifying intercession for conflict in the neighbouring country. This has even been one of the main intentions of this time: peace between Russia and Ukraine, but above all peace in the hearts of all those who suffer because of the consequences of this war.
Refugee in Hope Series
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In Budapest , the routine changed with the arrival of refugees from Ukraine