2025 Bishop’s Lent Appeal: Diocese in Europe & USPG collaborative work with refugees across Europe
Psalm 74 rightly says, ‘the earth is full of darkness, full of the haunts of violence’, as is shown by a world map shaded to indicate the presence of violent conflict, ranging from ‘skirmishes and clashes’ to ‘major war’ (as measured by death tolls). Within our Diocese we marked the third
anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine this month, a significant escalation of a war that has rumbled since 2014. The number of casualties, internally displaced people and refugees ishigh, with over 6 million in Europe.
In 2022, USPG and the Diocese in Europe partnered in an appeal for funds to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in Ukraine and refugee needs in neighbouring countries. We have trusted church-related partner organisations on the ground who are delivering vital support to the
survivors of the hostilities. This Lent, we want to build on the transforming work of that earlier Appeal which supported refugees from Ukraine and broaden it to include projects which also support refugees from elsewhere, and in other parts of Europe.
Lent is the time when we remember and re-enact in our worship and our spiritual disciplines the wilderness time of both Jesus and the Israelites. Experiencing the ‘wilderness’ of self-denial from the relative safety and comfort many of us enjoy is very different from the wilderness in which many
asylum seekers find themselves, with no sense of when the promised land might be entered and uncertainty about the provision of daily bread. Families are left with vivid memories of the traumatic events that led them to where they are now. Beyond meeting immediate needs, this Appeal will go towards providing long-term support, helping refugees buildnew lives in foreign lands. Support workers and volunteers working in the projects offer emotional and pastoral care, creating opportunities for refugees to gather, learn, and be creative together. Many refugees have shared what they’ve learned with others, creating a network of support and empowerment within the displaced community. The journey of refugees is far from over, and the projects remain a lifeline for so many who have lost everything.
