Refugees’ new home in the monastery ” “

Twenty-one years of Caritas support to refugees sheltered in the monastery of Skt. Gabriel of the Divine Word Missionaries. Since the early 1990s the Mödling House, near Vienna, welcomed over 3 thousand people from 30 countries. This extended hand is like a “prophecy” which responds to the wish expressed by Pope Francis to open European convents to refugees. The missionary fathers of the Divine Word recently drew a balance of their experience. The decision to welcome increasing numbers of refugees characterizes their renewed commitment. Desperate people from all over the world. The Home of Skt. Gabriel offers hospitality to 140 asylum-seekers. It was founded in 1992, when the Order of the Verbites made available to Caritas a section of the building to welcome and assist desperate people fleeing from Bosnia-Herzegovina, which at the time was under the scourge of the war that ensued the fall of ex-Yugoslavia. The Verbite priests helped the immigrants in Vienna also in the temporary centres for refugees pending deportation. Over one thousand people found hospitality there in the years 1992-1998, mostly from Bosnia. Many of them eventually settled down in the alpine town and in the meantime they obtained Austrian citizenship. So-called “homeless refugees” first arrived in 1992. In 1999, the House became a reception centre for Kosovar refugees. In 2004 it gave hospitality to people that benefited from basic assistance. Special support. Since 2009, Skt. Gabriel is the only accommodation in Lower Austria to accept asylum seekers who require special support due to physical illness, severe trauma or other mental illnesses. These people now come mostly from Chechnya, Afghanistan and some other countries, mostly Eastern countries. “At first it was not easy, especially for older confreres. Some of them had lived for 40 years with no other people around, and suddenly children were running and playing in the hallways” said Fr Budi Kleden, a member of the General Council of the Verbites (currently on a mission in Ghana, where the religious are present since 1938), one of the promoters of the institution of the House for the refugees. “We wanted to do something concrete in Austria so we vacated our rooms and we moved to another wing of the monastery”. A set of activities, such as German classes inside the structure, learning support for children, sports activities and projects help to constructively pass the time whilst waiting for the recognition of asylum in Austria, that can last for years. An area for young people. “An activity that helps these refugees integrate into Viennese society is the neighbourly help, paying chores to private persons from which they receive monetary donations”. Psychological and educational support “through games, in which children can represent and reprocess traumatic experiences is also important” Ulrike Fleschhut, from Caritas Vienna, told SIR Europe. At the beginning of 2013, “it was decided, among other things, to dedicate additional space in the monastery to Caritas activity by creating a new home for young refugees and to host about 30 seriously ill adults. The Verbite missionaries showed a deep willingness to increase support to Caritas work. “In the house – confirms Fleschhut – young people have access to temporary accommodation and support, according to their age. They are aged between 14 and 21 years old and fled without their families from crisis areas such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. They often have had traumatic experiences in their countries of origin and during the flight”. A team of social workers, pedagogues and psychologists deals with their needs. A renewed commitment. Meeting and engaging in dialogue between different cultures and religions is a major focus of the work of the Verbites’ missionary work in Austria. The Order is pleased with the fact that in the House have been accepted needy people from many different countries, and thanks to the constant support of the father superior general Heinz Kulüke, they are also sure to still have a lot to give in this joint action with Caritas. On October 26 father Kulüke visited the Skt. Gabriel house and was able to personally testify to the success of the undertaking that is renewed following in the footsteps of the teachings of Pope Francis.