Churches in Keighley have been uniting to welcome asylum seekers to the town - and this was celebrated this month with a special joint service and welcome from St Anne’s Catholic church to Christians throughout Keighley to ‘Share the Journey’, a papal initiative from Pope Francis.
Parishioners from All Saints Keighley, and members of the Keighley Salvation Army joined the congregation at St Anne’s Church for a service which included many languages – a Latin Gloria, Polish Agnus Dei, readings and prayers in English, Slovakian, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, French and Malayalam.
The service was followed by lunch prepared and served by regular volunteers of the Good Shepherd Centre, with pizza and a giant lasagne provided by members of the Italian community.
“It was a hugely joyous occasion and a wonderful way to affirm our work together”, said Graham Mitchell, secretary of Keighley Place of Sanctuary and Trust Secretary at The Good Shepherd Centre.
Keighley Place of Sanctuary brings together the Anglican Parish of Keighley, the Roman Catholic Good Shepherd Centre and the Salvation Army to coordinate their support for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and other newly-arrived communities.
“The three centres cooperate and co-ordinate activities”, explains the Rev Dr Jonathan Pritchard, Keighley Town Chaplain and Chair of Place of Sanctuary. “We each offer something different. It helps our Christian response to these wonderful vulnerable people and their needs. We are more effective because we work together.”
At All Saints on Sundays up to a third of the congregation may be asylum seekers or refugees. The Salvation Army Wednesday Lunch brings together a wider community of different nationalities and religions, and the Good Shepherd Centre runs ESOL classes and offers clothing, furniture and other practical support.