Refugee Ministry

Ministry Mission Statement:
To affirm human dignity and demonstrate solidarity with refugees from other countries who are starting a new life in the United States by providing apartment furnishings and welcome baskets to help them settle more comfortably in their new home.

Working With Catholic Charities

The St. Thomas More Refugee Ministry works with the Refugee Resettlement Program run by Catholic Charities. Each year, Catholic Charities in Phoenix helps resettle more than 1,000 refugees. Many have spent more than 10 years in refugee camps, deprived of their homes, livelihoods and basic human needs. They often arrive with little more than a suitcase. Catholic Charities welcomes them at the airport, teaches them about their new community and helps them set up their new home.

Catholic Charities requires support from parishes in the valley to provide volunteers to work with the refugees when they arrive in Arizona and to provide furnishings for apartments so that the family has a home to move into when they arrive in Arizona. The St. Thomas More Refugee Ministry supports this effort by working with parishioners who wish to donate household items that are needed to furnish apartments. In addition, we request donations for Welcome Baskets which are provided to the family when they move into their new apartment. We also provide other volunteer opportunities working with Catholic Charities providing transportation to the refugees, working with the refugees in an ESL (English as a Second Language) capacity, etc. For more information go to Catholic Charities Website.