Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ, met with Ukrainian refugees and their helpers as part of the activities of his 5-day visit to Hungarian Province. He also visited the OASIS Pastoral Care and Mental Health Service which provides crucial support to those in need.

On the second day of his visit, Father General met with Ukrainian refugees at the office of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Hungary. His visit highlighted the Jesuit commitment to those who are in need of assistance, especially refugee children and families from Ukraine, who he met with in one of the reception rooms. Emese Kővágó, the head of service, and her colleagues presented the work of the JRS within the country. Father General and the delegation from Rome were also thrilled by a performance from young people from Kharkiv, Herszon, Dnipro, Kiev and Transcarpathia who played the violin and gave a rendition of “Ode to Joy”, led by a Ukrainian refugee teacher.

More than ten years of service to refugees

The Hungarian office of the Jesuit Refugee Service was established within the Province during the 2015 European refugee crisis. Since then, the staff of the JRS have made it their mission to accompany, to serve and to protect refugees legally residing in Hungary, helping them heal spiritually and shape their own futures. Their activities include teaching them the Hungarian language, providing housing for refugees, long-term stabilization, helping them to integrate into the labour market, developing their civic and intercultural competences; helping children to integrate and catch up with their peers at school; providing mental and psychosocial support, leisure programmes and community activities.

Since 24 February 2022, more than 3,000 people from Ukraine have been assisted by JRS in Hungary. At the beginning, under the leadership of Sajgó Szabolcs, SJ, the Jesuit delegate of the JRS, they regularly went to the border and the surrounding villages to help refugee families with donations. JRS supported the work of other organizations working in the refugee reception centre in Budapest with donations, volunteer services, and professional expertise, and also offered their educational and training materials. In coordination with the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe, JRS Hungary offers long-term assistance to families who have been forced to restart their lives in Hungary because of the destruction of their homes. “They always thank us for the personal attention, appreciate the special atmosphere here and say they feel safe with us”, the social workers told Father General.

“You are part of the international family of the Jesuit Refugee Service; draw courageously from this identity”, encouraged Fr Sosa. “Many people help refugees, but the JRS is not just an NGO, its mission is deeper. Take the time to go deeper into this.”

Oasis in the City

The following morning, Father General met with the staff of the OASIS Pastoral Care and Mental Health Service in Budapest. Andrea Orosz, the head of the institution, updated him and his assistants about their activities.

The service, supported by the Hungarian Province of the Society of Jesus, was established in the Jesuit Dialogue House in 2014. It offers the most ancient monastic activity – listening – to the people of today. This initiative is a collaboration between Hungarian religious orders, and the service they offer is anonymous and free of charge. Its main goal is to accompany young adults, single individuals, and families through pastoral counselling and offer them information about other therapeutic utilities or spiritual guidance.

Currently, OASIS has four paid staff members and more than twenty volunteer workers who work 27 hours a week at the Jesuit Church in Budapest. They welcome people from all walks of life, nationalities, and denominations. They also organize various group activities, such as art therapy or focus groups. In 2024, they provided 1,700 hours of service.

As someone who has received help from them in the past put it, this is an oasis “in the desert of our lives” where you can come to only once or you can return again and again. There is always a person waiting on stand by to help you to the “eternal spring”.