March 6, 2022 From Social Justice

It's been just over 6 months since the U.S. Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan. At this anniversary, we remember the desperation of Afghans leading up to and following the withdrawal. We also hear constantly in the news about the war in Ukraine and the plight of Ukrainians who are sheltering in place or who are newly displaced. Acknowledging so much suffering, we want to share some GOOD NEWS about one small way we are making a difference for an Afghan family in need.
 
As a parish, we're sponsoring an Afghan man to come to the United States to be reunited with his family. We’re calling him “Adam” since he is the first person we are sponsoring. As he was able to leave Afghanistan, we're very hopeful that he’ll be able to come to the U.S. Those who've not yet left the country currently have no way to come here. Sadly, Adam still has family members in Afghanistan whose safety is at risk. For their protection, we can’t share any more details about Adam or his case.
 
How did St. Austin get involved?
 
A Catholic organization approached Fr. Chuck for help. Adam’s family in the U.S. has the means to care for him, just not quite enough to prove that he wouldn’t need government assistance. St. Austin provides a financial promise to care for Adam, should his family be unable to. We've already submitted our application, technically a request for “humanitarian parole." Now we wait for it to be accepted - the wait will take months, if not years.
 
What can we do in the meantime?
 
Right now, the only thing we can do is pray. We invite you to pray for Adam, his family, and the people of Afghanistan this Lent and beyond.