"Holy moment" leads to unplanned refugee ministry for Syracuse parish
One Sunday morning a few years back, a man walked into the Episcopal Church of the Saviour in Syracuse, New York, and changed the church in a profound way.
The man was a refugee from Burma, a member of the Karen ethnic group which has long been persecuted by the Burmese military government. Since he didn’t speak much English, members of the small congregation thought the man might be in the wrong place.
“About a block away is a Roman Catholic church with a strong Vietnamese community,” said the Rev. Gerard Beritela, Vicar of Church of the Saviour. “We thought he might be looking for the Catholic church. And he said in a very loud voice, ‘No, Anglican!’”
That interaction was the first that many members of the church ever had with a refugee, but it was not to be the last.
Interfaith Works of Central New York, Episcopal Migration Ministries’ affiliate in Syracuse, helps many Burmese Karen refugees resettle in the area, along with refugees from other nations and ethnic backgrounds.
And while the refugees Episcopal Migration Ministries and its affiliates assist are certainly not all Anglican or even Christian, some members of the Karen community are.
When the Anglican Karen refugees found out about Church of the Saviour, many began attending services there.
In the past two or three years, Beritela estimates about 15 Karen families have joined the church, presenting the small urban parish with unforeseen challenges, but also a new mission focus.
“Most of us realize that this is a ministry to which we are called,” Beritela said. “One member said ‘God has kept our church open and I think this is the ministry that we’ve been kept open for.’”
Beritela said that language remains a barrier between American-born members and the refugee newcomers, but both groups are adjusting.
Richard Giaccio, who is warden at the church, said the congregation has long been a small one, but not insular. He said the parish's reaction to the newcomers is reflective of a long-standing willingness to welcome others.
"I think it some ways it’s very exciting to have a whole bunch of people show up, people with families and young kids," Giaccio said. "Most people are trying to connect with them and make them feel welcome and part of things."
An Advent Lessons and Carols service last year featuring hymns in English and Karen was a big hit. Now, every Sunday the Gospel is read in both Karen and English, and Church of the Saviour is working with Interfaith Works to translate other hymns and prayers.
The church is also restarting a long-dormant Christian education program at the request of the new members. Prior to the arrival of the Karen, most members of the church were older, and there was no need for children’s programs.
“The running joke at Savior is everyone under 60 is in the youth group. At least that’s the way it was,” Beritela said. “It’s been a big shot in the arm for us, and also it’s been very good, I think, for some members of the Karen community.”
The Rev. Bob Honeychurch is Missioner for Congregational Vitality at the Episcopal Church Center, engaging a broad network to invigorate parishes and dioceses throughout the Episcopal Church.
“The Church is most fully its true self when it is about the work of partnering with God in the transformation of the world,” he said. “It’s not just about getting people to show up on Sunday morning.”
Honeychurch said the Church of the Saviour is an instructive example of how ministry, planned or otherwise, can redefine a church’s identity and place within its community.
“The Church of the Saviour could never have planned for an influx of Karen refugees from Burma. When opportunity came knocking, so to speak, the congregation viewed it as a ‘holy moment’ where God might be breaking into their midst in new, wonderful, and certainly unexpected ways,” Honeychurch said.
Since the Karen members began attending services at Saviour, the church has held baptisms and weddings, and the Bishop recently visited to confirm a number of resettled refugees.
The parish has also learned a lot about their new members’ cultural and spiritual traditions, and they’ve partnered with Grace Episcopal Church in Utica, New York to consult on the needs of Karen members at both churches.
In other words, the ministry has led to new connections and new energy in the parish. And it all started with an unexpected guest dropping in on a Sunday morning.