Local parish community gathered resources to grant moral and material support for refugees
The B.C. Catholic
North Vancouver
As the Syrian city of Aleppo was torn by conflict, Elias Dayekh knew he had to move his family to relative safety in Jordan.
But it was only after a bomb destroyed his family home and killed his father that he knew they had to move even farther from the conflict.
Life before the Syrian Civil war was “beautiful, but not enough to make a living.” Dayekh worked with his father and two brothers in a small shop for metal forming and machining that they owned.
In order to improve their economic situation, Dayekh and his family attempted to open a similar venture in Jordan, under the name of his sister’s son, who lived there. However they were deported to Syria because non-Jordanians are not allowed to own businesses.
“The year was 2010, and we had to start working on restoring our home and work,” said Dayekh. “But then the war started, and I was terrified of war and terrorists for the kids.”
Dayekh and his siblings returned to Jordan as refugees, but his father stayed behind in Syria. In 2012, his family received news from a neighbour: his father had been killed when a bomb landed on the house.
“We couldn’t even go back and bury my father’s body, because if we left (Jordan) it would be very hard to return,” Dayekh recounted. “We decided in the end to immigrate to the U.S.”
Despite submitting forms to several embassies and consulates, Dayekh’s family remained in refugee limbo. However their luck changed when a friend of Dayekh’s sister heard of their plight, and got them in contact with a Catholic group in Canada.
They were able to immigrate in February, and practise their Catholic faith in safety. “Life in Canada is beautiful and safe, and the Catholic Church supports everything.”
Dayekh said he owes thanks to the people of Christ the Redeemer Parish in West Vancouver for their “moral and material support,” along with seeing his children got an education.
“Christ the Redeemer arranged the sponsorship through the archdiocese’s program,” said Bryan O’Flaherty Wills, a member of the parish’s refugee committee. He noted the parish had previously sponsored an Iraqi family with great success.
“At the end of the 12-month period of sponsorship, the family was able to become completely independent. They have even sponsored some of their own family members!”
A number of families in the parish wished to pledge support to aid more families, so when the Syrian refugee crises struck, the parish sponsored one of Dayekh’s brothers.
“There are millions of refugees in Germany alone,” said O’Flaherty Wills. “The notable thing for me was, in doing this, you see the refugees as people instead of numbers.”
He noted his surprise that the families were knowledgeable about recent technology. “They were using their smartphones to contact their families and friends back home to let them know they had arrived safely,” O’Flaherty Wills recounted. “It put a human face on this global problem.”
“Few things in my 30 years of being a priest have been more gratifying than watching the response of the parishioners to this crisis,” said Msgr. Gregory Smith, the pastor of the parish.
“The fact that their outpouring of time, talent, and treasure for these two families from Syria is happening during this Year of Mercy is particularly exciting.”
“I was choked up introducing one of the families at Mass, but not because I was so sorry for them, but because I was so grateful for the Christian community that I’m privileged to serve.”
