Parish Council: Mark Redchurch
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Parish council
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social and ecological justice committee (SEJC)
The Social and Ecological Justice Committee began at Holy Cross parish in 2016. In 2021 St. Pat’s parishioners joined with the Holy Cross Committee to create an inter-parish committee. We meet monthly and are always looking for new members. If you have an interest in social and/or climate justice please join us. Contact Nancy Stuart at nancystuart7@gmail.com (St. Patrick's) or Barb McKrow at bmckrow@shaw.ca (Holy Cross).
Our Mission Statement
Called by Pope Francis’s urgent message in Laudato Si’ to care for creation and for the poor, the Holy Cross/St. Patrick’s Social and Ecological Justice Committee sees itself as a resource and catalyst for the work of social and climate justice in our parishes.
To achieve this end, we propose to:
1. promote “greener” practices within our parishes;
2. advocate for a simpler lifestyle among our parishioners, in solidarity with the poor of this world;
3. organize parish activities to raise awareness of social and ecological injustice;
4. work with other groups within our parishes, the diocese, and the Greater Victoria community – towards the Common Good.
Some recent activities at St. Pat’s:
- - “A Fashion Show with a Difference” in April 2023
- - Amnesty International ‘Write for Rights’ letter writing in Dec. 2023
- - Hosting a Development and Peace partner, Karno Batiran, from Indonesia in Feb. 2024
- - Participating in GVAT (Greater Victoria Acting Together for the Common Good) activities, e.g. participated in the Victoria vacancy control campaign May 2024
Upcoming activities at St. Pat’s:
- - A tenant starter kit – collecting items for soon to be housed people in Fall 2024
- - Hosting a ‘Green’ supper in Lent 2025
For more info see the annual reports on the Holy Cross website at https://www.holycrossvictoria.org/social-and-eco-justice.php
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refugee sponsorship committee
The St Patrick's Refugee Sponsorship Committee was established in 2016 in response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis and a call by our Bishop for parishes to sponsor refugees. St Patrick's, in partnership with the Franciscan Friary, applied to sponsor a family of five while our sister parish, Holy Cross (in partnership with St Joseph the Worker Parish), applied to sponsor a related family of four. The families arrived in Victoria in September 2018 and are now gratefully established in their new communities.
To be considered a refugee a person must be outside their home country, unable to return to their home country and unable to settle permanently in their current country of residence. Canada is widely recognized for accepting more refugees for resettlement than other developed nations, but the number accepted is relatively small and the hurdles large. In an ordinary year, Canada accepts roughly 420,000 immigrants of whom about 36,000 (9%) are refugees applying for entry to Canada from overseas. In addition to passing an interview, medical examination and security screening, most refugees (64%) also need a private sponsor such as St Patrick's Parish.
Canada's refugee system typically prohibits refugees from accessing social assistance and similar programs so sponsors are required to assume full responsibility for accepted refugees for 12-months post-arrival. This responsibility includes supporting the newcomers financially, finding and furnishing housing, and, more generally, helping them adapt to life in Canada.
In 2020, our parish applied to sponsor another family of five. On December 1st, 2021 our family finally safely arrived in Victoria, just in time for Advent and the Christmas season.
For further information contact James Murtagh at 250-595-8684 or email: james_murtagh@telus.net.
