Mass of Thanksgiving for JRS's Founder's Day

Celebration lunch at Wapping

Source: JRS UK

Today the Jesuit Refugee Service UK celebrated their Founder's Day with a Mass of Thanksgiving and a lunch prepared by refugees at the Hurtado Centre in Wapping.

The celebrations began by giving thanks for the life and vision of Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ. Arrupe's experiences of suffering and displacement, particularly his care for victims of the Hiroshima bombing, convinced him that Christian faith must be expressed through action, justice, and service to those most in need.

In 1980, moved by the plight of Vietnamese refugees, Arrupe founded the Jesuit Refugee Service with a simple but powerful mission: to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees and other forcibly displaced people. He recognised that refugees are not merely people in need of assistance, but individuals in whom we encounter Christ himself. Forty-six years later, that vision continues to guide JRS's work across the world.

This Founder's Day was therefore more than an anniversary. It was an opportunity to renew commitment to Arrupe's mission, to remember refugee friends, and to thank the many volunteers, supporters, staff, and partners who make this work possible.

Millions of people around the world are displaced by conflict, persecution, poverty, and the effects of climate change. In a world where refugees are too often reduced to statistics, the Jesuit Refugee Service seeks to ensure that every person is seen, heard, and treated with dignity.

Arrupe's vision is not simply part of history; it is a living mission that continues to challenge us all to be people of compassion, solidarity, and hope, responding to Christ's call to welcome the stranger and walk alongside those most in need.

JRS UK serves up to 400 people at any one time from 50 different countries.Jesuit Refugee Service UK accompanies, serves and advocates for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced people. Its work is rooted in the belief that refugees should be treated with dignity and recognised as people with their own gifts, hopes and agency. read more about JKRS UK: www.jrsuk.net/