Columban lay missionary Nathalie Marytsch at Fatima House. Photo: Nathalie Marytsch
At the height of what became known as the “migrant crisis” in 2015, millions of people walked across and towards Europe in search of sanctuary. The world watched in shock and sorrow. Among the many images that seared our collective memory was that of a tiny Syrian toddler, lifeless on a beach - a heartbreaking reminder of the treacherous journeys families were forced to take to escape war, persecution, and poverty.
That image reached the Vatican. Deeply moved, the late Pope Francis wrote to the faithful, urging them to respond with practical compassion to the suffering of refugees. His call was clear and challenging: “Every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary” has an obligation “to be neighbours to the smallest and most abandoned.”
Here in Britain, the Columban Missionaries responded to this challenge, joining forces with the Archdiocese of Birmingham, Father Hudson’s Care (then two separate charities), and the parish priest of St. Anne’s Church. Together, we began discerning how to give concrete expression to the Pope’s invitation.
After many meetings, careful drafting of policies and procedures, and months of preparing a building for its new purpose, St. Anne’s presbytery was transformed into Fatima House. In July 2016, its doors opened to welcome vulnerable women in Birmingham who were in urgent need of protection.
Fatima House is, in many ways, a small drop in an ocean of need. Yet for those who come through its doors, it is a safe harbour – a place of rest, dignity, and hope. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by mid-2024 an estimated 122.6 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. Of these, 37.9 million were recognised as refugees. Behind these numbers are countless personal stories shaped by conflict, the devastating impacts of climate change, extreme poverty and the unequal distribution of resources. These forces compel people to take unimaginable risks – crossing dangerous seas, traversing hostile lands, and often placing themselves at the mercy of ruthless smugglers and trafficking networks.
Some of these stories have been lived by the women of Fatima House. The Columbans have taken on the daily running of Fatima House, while our partner organisations manage other aspects of the project. Over the past nine years, we have welcomed nearly 60 women. Each one arrives with her own journey, her own wounds, and her own hopes.
Some come with their entire lives packed into a few bags – clothes, cooking pots, crockery – clinging to the remnants of a life left behind. Others arrive with nothing more than a small plastic carrier bag. Some carry photographs of loved ones; others carry only the longing to one day discover where their family is.
At Fatima House, they find a safe space where they can begin to rebuild. The environment is not just about providing shelter; it is about creating a community where women are welcomed, respected and valued. Friendships form quickly. Many describe the other residents as “family,” bound together by shared experience and mutual care.
When the time comes for a woman to leave Fatima House, it is often bittersweet. There is joy in moving
forward – finding work, enrolling in university, or setting up a new home – but there is also sadness in leaving behind the close bonds formed in this place of safety.
Throughout the years, 16 women – 27.6% of those who have stayed – have secured leave to remain in the UK. This legal recognition allows them to work, study, and live without the fear of deportation. Some have gone on to find employment, start higher education, or begin families.
Hearing from these women after they leave is always a moment of joy for us. Their stories remind us that even in the face of unimaginable hardship, hope can be rekindled and new life can emerge.
For those still awaiting decisions on their asylum claims, Fatima House remains a source of stability. Others continue to face the challenges of destitution, yet they know that here they are not alone – they are accompanied.
As we mark ten years since the so-called migrant crisis, the urgency for compassion and justice remains undiminished. Displacement is not a crisis of the past; it is a human reality that continues every day.
At Fatima House, we see in every woman’s story a reflection of the face of God – a God who, in Jesus, also experienced displacement, rejection, and the search for refuge. This vision shapes how we respond: not simply as a matter of charity, but as a response to the Gospel itself.
We know Fatima House is only one small light in a world of immense need. But for the women who have lived here, it has been a place where hope is restored, where dignity is upheld, and where the bonds of human solidarity are lived out daily.
Ten years on, the cry of the refugee is still loud in our world. And, as long as it continues, our call is to listen, to respond, and to make space for God’s presence in the lives of those who seek safety and peace.
Columban lay missionary Nathalie Marytsch has been living and working in Birmingham for more than twenty years.
Listen to "Ten years on - The cry of refugees still rings out"
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