News and Issues

Diocese to Celebrate 30 Years of Serving Refugees2005-06-16
Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde will join recent refugees and nearly 200 supporters of northern Virginia's largest refugee resettlement agency ,the Arlington Diocese's Office of Resettlement, to celebrate its 30th anniversary: 6:30 PM, June 22, 2005 Hilton McLean at Tysons Corner 7920 Jones Branch Drive McLean, Virginia, 22102. In a forthcoming column in the Arlington Catholic Herald, Bishop Loverde writes, 'This arm of the diocese has embraced so many of our new neighbors, regardless of their ethnicity, language and religious beliefs, to show them the same compassion Christ always showed to those who came to Him in need.' Bishop Loverde will offer a reflection at the fundraising dinner. Guest speakers will include women from Sudan and Afghanistan. Refugee cultures will be celebrated through food and entertainment.  
In 30 years the office , an affiliate of the United States Catholic Conference/Migration and Refugee Services , has resettled over 16,000 refugees in the Northern Virginia Community. Recently the office has assisted numerous refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Iran through its services of English classes and tutors, pre-employment training, housing assistance, employment search, orientation, and other support. World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20 of every year by declaration of the United Nations. More than half of all refugees coming to Virginia reside in Northern Virginia. More information about the fundraiser is available online at http://www.arlingtonrefugeeservices.com/new_page_8.htm
 
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