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Helping Refugees

About Us

L’Œuvre d’Orient established its refugee support service in 2013 following the events in Iraq and Syria to assist people from those two countries on their journey into exile. The refugee and migrant support service is, first and foremost, a team of 2 staff members and 60 volunteers who work together to provide the best possible support to those in need.

L’Œuvre d’Orient is fully committed to working alongside the French government, which supports the reception of these refugees. It is assisted by parishes and organizations that have responded to Pope Francis’s 2016 call for “one refugee per parish.”

Over the years, the service has welcomed people from Egypt, Iran, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Armenia, and, most recently, Ukraine.

Our Missions

The mission of the support service for refugees and migrants is:

-To welcome unconditionally those who knock on our door as they navigate their journey in exile.

-To help them develop a comprehensive plan for integration in France (support for daily life in general: spiritual, psychological, administrative and housing assistance, support for children, job search, etc.) with the help of local teams, primarily from Latin Catholic parishes.

-One of the ways we provide support is through learning the French language and culture via an intensive program combining FLE (French as a Foreign Language) classes and oral expression sessions with a team of volunteers.

-And to serve as an advisory body to parishes and civil society actors (assisting with discernment: advising, informing, and raising awareness among individuals and organizations).

To best help all these people, we must get to know one another, understand one another, and build a relationship of trust that stands the test of time.