Gregoire, Francois, Anton, Paul, Petr and Stepan will take on the run together for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. For the novices, the initiative is both a practical way of supporting the work of JRS UK and an expression of the Jesuit commitment to accompany people who have been forced to flee their homes.
You can support the novices by making a donation here: Team JRS UK is running the Vitality London 10,000!
Their reasons for taking part draw on their Jesuit formation as well as personal encounters with refugees and migrants.
Gregoire said: “I want to run for people seeking sanctuary because I realised that these people could be me.”
He also reflected on the place of accompanying refugees within the mission of the Society of Jesus: “It is our mission as Jesuits to work alongside those who are excluded, forced to leave their home country. Walking alongside refugees and asylum seekers is a core ministry of the Society of Jesus. And this is why I choose to support JRS UK.”
For Paul, the issue has a particular human dimension. He previously worked with Sanctuary St Chad, a charity supporting migrants, where he remembers meeting a man who had fled South Sudan and was seeking refuge, dignity and the opportunity for a new start.
Anton reflected on Pope Francis’ emphasis on the dignity of every human being and the importance of ensuring that people are not forgotten, while Francois spoke of the hope he finds in seeing the Church take the situation of refugees seriously.
Paul also spoke directly about the difficult climate surrounding refugees and migration, and the need to build bridges.
“As we see also, there is a rise of the far-right in our countries, and I would like to build bridges, show them that we are all from the same mud.”
The fact that the novices are undertaking the run together is also significant. Petr described doing things as a community as part of Jesuit formation, and said this had motivated him to take part alongside his fellow novices.
For Gregoire, their determination to complete the 10k together carries a wider meaning. Reflecting on how the journey of migration can often be a solitary one, he said: “So, when I cross the finish line, I want to cross it with my five fellow novices who are running with me, and I want to give a testimony that there is something that is to be lived together. And to that extent, I want to give witness of the force of the community.”
Stepan also connected the run with the Jesuit understanding of accompaniment.
“For me, accompaniment is walking with the people and not trying them to come to me to my situation, but really myself entering into where they are.”
The novices also spoke about the hope they find in those who support refugees. Petr pointed to young volunteers and others willing to devote their lives to helping refugees, while Francois reflected on a refugee he had supported in Paris.
“If I had a word for a refugee friend, I’m thinking about Carlos, who is a refugee that I’ve been helping very much in Paris, I will always be here with you, my friend.”
The six novices are raising funds for JRS UK, the refugee agency of the Jesuits in Britain, which accompanies, serves and advocates for refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
