Fr Bernard
Hyacinth Arputhasamy SJ (Regional Director of JRS Asia-Pacific) visited Xavier
Catholic College, Hervey Bay on 6th March. Fr Bernard spent the day
visiting classes in the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools. He shared stories of
refugees from across the globe with the students, as well as the many ways that
JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) helps such people. One story that particularly
caught the attention of the students was the story of Khin, a young Burmese
refugee whose family have fled to Thailand for protection. Khin’s story is one of the feature stories
for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. JRS and Caritas have formed a
partnership to support the educational needs of refugee children living in
Thailand. Fr Bernard stressed the importance of always remembering that
refugees are people just like everyone else; as the gospel teaches, we must not
deny them their human dignity.
Fr Bernard
also spoke to the College staff about the role that Christians must play in the
standing up and speaking out for those who are unable to speak out for
themselves. He dispelled many myths that have recently circulated regarding
refugees which are widely accepted in our society today. Most importantly Fr
Bernard emphasised that as loving Christians, we have a responsibility to raise
awareness about the plight of refugees in all parts of the world.