As a school rooted in the Jesuit tradition of faith and justice, Mount St Mary’s seeks to form young people who are intellectually curious, spiritually aware and committed to the service of others. This special event on Thursday 19 June brought together Lower Sixth (Year 12) students, along with visiting pupils from Jesuit schools in Mexico, Italy and France. It was led by Head of Religious Studies, Michael Jones, and featured Fr Tony O’Riordan SJ, a Jesuit of the Irish Province, as the keynote speaker.
Fr Tony, who has spent the past decade working with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in South Sudan, Kenya, Syria and now Ireland, shared stories from his ministry among displaced communities. His testimony offered students a first-hand insight into the human reality behind the headlines, and the Jesuit commitment to walking alongside those who are forcibly displaced.
One of the most powerful moments of the day was a live Zoom conversation with Mr David Mawa, a South Sudanese national who was forced to flee his home as a child and seek refuge in Uganda. Speaking from Juba, where he now runs a school for 700 children – many of them refugees from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo – David emphasised that refugees are ordinary people with hopes and dreams. They are not looking for sympathy, he told students, but for recognition of their potential and dignity. Now back in his home country, David reflected warmly on the welcome he received while studying for a master’s degree at the University of Bradford, describing British society as broadly supportive of refugees in his experience.
In the afternoon, students took part in a powerful simulation exercise, designed to evoke the disorientation, fear and resilience experienced by refugee families. Moving through the stages of displacement – from fleeing their homes, to navigating dangerous terrain, to facing language barriers at hostile border crossings – the students experienced something of the vulnerability faced by so many around the world today. The simulation was supported by members of the school’s Combined Cadet Force, who role-played as armed border guards.
Throughout the day, the students were invited to reflect on Pope Francis’ call to respond to migrants and refugees with four key verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. This spirit of encounter and solidarity is at the heart of the Jesuit mission and was clearly embodied in the thoughtful and compassionate engagement of the young people who took part.
