Every year, Catholic Charities aims to make World Refugee Day, traditionally observed June 20, special for the San Antonio refugee community and bring awareness to the greater San Antonio population. For 2017 the organization hosted its second annual World Refugee Art Event at Brick at the Blue Star Complex. The event featured artwork from all over the world, as well as unique pieces from our School Impact Program youth.
The gathering honored all of the men, women and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence; celebrating their survival and their hope for a better life.
For the past 30 years, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc. has been resettling refugees from around the world. Refugees are victims of war, persecution, upheaval, and religious and ethnic discrimination. They are forced to flee to other countries and leave their homes, families, friends, jobs and possessions so that they may keep their lives.
Most refugees hope to return home to pick up their lives again, and many will when conditions change. For some refugees, the only hope is for resettlement in the United States.
Working with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to distribute federal resettlement funds, this program provides professional staff assistance to individuals and families entering the United States as refugees.
Catholic Charities Refugee Services provides housing, employment, language and acculturation assistance for refugees who have been resettled in the United States through the U.S. Department of State Programs.