At a time when there is great turmoil and distress for families around the world who are fleeing their homes to escape persecution, fearing for their lives, there is a resistance by many to welcome them into their communities.
It can be a test for humanity to reach out to embrace those who are vulnerable and in need. A true generosity of spirit and heart is required to welcome adults and children who, faced with such terrible circumstances, have been forced to leave their homes. How can anyone challenge parents who want to find safety, peace, and, hopefully, happiness in another country?
If faced with this frightening and often life-threatening situation, wouldn’t any parent do the same?
As in so many other countries, there is great debate and angst throughout Australia about the acceptance of refugees into our cities and suburbs; however, there are people who are reaching out and extending their hands in friendship and love.
The Jesuthasan family, father Rayappan and his wife Kalpana, together with their three daughters, fled their home in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to escape persecution and to find a better future for their family.
After fleeing from the danger and turmoil, they spent time in a refugee camp in Malaysia before eventually arriving in Perth where members of their family had already settled.
Mr Jesuthasan shared with St Jude’s Lynwood Langford Parish Priest, Father Terry Raj about the family’s re-location experience.
“We came to Australia to find a fair and safe environment for our family,” Mr Jesuthasan said.
“My wife’s brother had already moved to Perth and is a member of St Jude’s Parish. With the help of Parish Priest, Fr Raj, and parishioners, we found accommodation.
“Our faith is very important to us so it was wonderful to have Fr Raj’s support and to be surrounded by a community who welcomed us and helped us to settle into our new life,” he said.
For migrant families, education for their children can often be their highest priority. They want the children to have the chance to do well in their new country. Rayappan and Kalpana definitely wanted their girls to have access to a good education. After settling into their accommodation, their next step was to meet with Lyn Stone, Principal of St Jude’s Primary School.
“St Jude’s Catholic Primary School is a vibrant, multicultural, single-stream school which very much reflects the local Langford neighbourhood. We have more than 15 nationalities and 27 different languages are spoken,” said Mrs Stone.
“While our school community includes a significant number of refugee and new migrant families, Langford is a well-established suburb which is home to many third-generation Australian families, providing a rich diversity in culture and social groups.
“We believe that St Jude’s multiculturalism is a microcosm of what Catholic community is all about – the mission of the school is, therefore, part of the mission of the Church,” she said.
“In circumstances such as the Jesuthasan family, it was critical for our staff to ensure the girls were able to successfully integrate into our school, to feel welcomed and comfortable in our school community.
“We do all we can to support all our families, emotionally and financially. For example, in the case of families who have come to us as refugees, we give consideration to their school fees and may need to provide them with their uniforms and other general school requirements.
“The children can also receive personal support offered by our staff and other individuals, which is often done in a very quiet, subtle way.
“We pride ourselves on our special programs which assist the children and families; one such program is the Mercy Connect Program where volunteers come into the classrooms to support specific students.
“We provide translation services for families, often via staff members or members of our community with similar cultural backgrounds, and we fund a Pastoral Care Worker through the National Chaplaincy Program,” said Mrs Stone.
“We also have a very active Friends of St Jude’s group who offer additional support and outreach to our families who are in need.”
“The chance to have a good education for our children through the inspiring hard work of Mrs Stone and the teachers, and being with the lovable friends, has made our move to live in Perth a bit easier. They are all very special to us,” said Rayappan and Kalpana.
Now they are all feeling safe and are smiling once again through the generosity of a special, close-knit community who have made it their mission to welcome the family. And, they have a new ‘Aussie’ baby, another little girl – that makes four!
From page 18 and 19 from Issue 3: ‘Education: Teaching, Learning and Technology in 2016’ of The Record Magazine