Birmingham: Celebrating 10 years of Fatima House

Representative of the Fatima House partnership cutting the celebratory cake together.

On the evening of Wednesday 10 June, nearly a hundred people gathered at St Anne's Church in central Birmingham to mark the 10 years since the opening of Fatima House.

The celebration of the 10th year anniversary of Fatima House could seen as framed between two significant moments in the recent history of the Church and papal engagement with the issue of migration: the visit of Pope Francis to Lampedusa in 2013 and the visit of Pope Leo to Gran Canaria on 11th June 2026.

Both papal visits to these deadly migration hotspots represent deeply meaningful gestures of solidarity with the plight of vulnerable migrants and an urgent call for states and authorities to offer effective and prompt solutions to stop the fatal consequences of inaction and indifference.

Pope Francis' memorable visit to Lampedusa was followed by a compelling call to all religious and diocesan communities to make their properties available to welcome people seeking sanctuary in the light of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. In July 2016, the Church in Birmingham responded positively to this invitation through its social outreach agency, Father Hudson's Caritas, the Columban Missionaries, and the support of a local parish, St Anne's Church.

The evening was a celebration of what Fatima House has achieved, but above all a celebration of how the lives of the 70 women who have resided in the house have been impacted by the hospitality and welcome offered there. Throughout the years the founding partners have shown unwavering support to the project.

It was fitting that the celebration started with the Eucharist -the solemn gesture of thanksgiving offered by the People of God -and that some of the readings and prayers were led by current residents both in their own languages. The Mass was presided over by Archbishop Bernard Longley who, in his homily, made reference to the lead-up to that day's Gospel reading when Jesus encouraged his disciples, saying: 'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.' The Archbishop noted that "the residents of Fatima House reflect the light of God's goodness in their own lives and experiences too."

The celebration continued at St Anne's Church Club, where hospitality was offered to friends of Fatima House and people had the chance to network and interact. A good number of former and current residents joined us and felt proud to watch a short video which compiled the voices of those involved in the project, either as partners, supporters, or members of the Fatima House family. Above all, the video highlighted the profound dignity of each of the women who have resided there.

As we were celebrating this milestone in Birmingham, Pope Leo was visiting Gran Canaria, where he listened to the testimonies of vulnerable women seeking sanctuary. He said to them: "Before saying anything else to you, I want to bow before your dignity. You are not just numbers or files. You are people who have left behind families and homes. You have dreams that no one has the right to despise."

Pope Leo's words express the core of our task at Fatima House: to bow before women whose dignity has been ignored and abused, and whose dreams have been despised. In response to a letter I sent to him seeking his Apostolic Blessing for Fatima House, we were assured of the Pope's spiritual closeness and reminded that, through our service to these women, we echo Jesus' words: "I have loved you" (Dilexit Te, 121).

Echoing Pope Leo's message, the work of Fatima House aims to convey that "human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border." My Columban colleagues, our partners, and I sincerely hope and pray that our service will no longer be needed in ten years' time, as we continue to pray and work for the coming of Jesus' Reign of peace, reconciliation, and justice.

Mauricio Silva is Interreligious Dialogue Coordinator for Columbans in Britain.

Visit ICN's Facebook page to see more pictures from the event.