Diocese of Chichester

The Bishop of Horsham, Ruth Bushyager wrote to all 365 parishes in the Diocese of Chichester, which covers east and west Sussex as well as Brighton and Hove. The Bishop asked them to register to be part of the Humanitarian Sponsorship scheme that enables Ukrainians to enter the UK.

Around 70 Sussex churches registered immediately, and a growing number of families and households who are now waiting for visa clearance before they can welcome refugees into their homes here in Sussex.

This week Bishop Ruth spoke with a Ukrainian family of 5 who have fled their home in Kyiv. Within just hours she was able to link them with a suitable Sponsor couple so they could complete their visa application.

She said: “We are seeing an outpouring of hospitality in this unprecedented situation. Communities across Sussex, as in the rest of their United Kingdom, are coming together in remarkable ways to prepare to support Ukrainians, many of whom are vulnerable women and children who have suffered great trauma. Jesus himself was a child refugee, and we are rightly responding to his call to serve our brothers and sisters with sacrificial kindness in their hour of great need."

The Revd John Green, vicar of Barlavington, Burton with Coates, Sutton & Bignor in West Sussex said the support had been truly remarkable and involved all Christian church denominations. He said: “Already three church families are ready and waiting to host their Ukrainian guests. There are so many good and generous people in our benefice. If they cannot take a refugee themselves, they are all willing to offer help. Our collection of bedding, toiletries etc was phenomenal – we’ve even got a Czech speaking carer who has stepped forward to offer to help teach English if needed."

In Eridge in East Sussex, six families are currently waiting to host Ukrainian refugee families. Four of the families attend the local church there.

In Seaford, Rev Arwen Folkes, vicar of East Blatchington commented: “We are all overwhelmed by the dreadful and terrible scenes we have witnessed in Ukraine but we are now overwhelmed by this outpouring of love and compassion in our town.

She added: “Welcoming the stranger is at the heart of the church's mission, and so to see our wider community moved to provide hospitality has moved our churches to help them in that task. We want to throw a support network around them and by working in partnership with other churches, civic and community leaders we can do this.

“I believe that we as a church have resources, insight and community presence to facilitate and offer to help our community to make this work and therefore, help our guests from Ukraine find stability and security as quickly as possible. Something transformative is happening and it is happening in response to incredible levels of need. Joining in with it is a Gospel imperative calling upon us in this moment.”

Carole Henderson is a Seaford resident who desperately wants to do something to support Ukrainian people who arrive in the area. She said, “I'm unable to offer a room so I welcome the opportunity to work with local churches, civic leaders and other members of our local community. Our aim is to welcome people to our town without overwhelming them, offer support as and when they need it, and also support the amazing local residents who are opening up their homes as hosts.”

In Parish of Southwater the Bishop of Lewes, Will Hazlewood, spoke at a recent Peace Vigil held for Ukraine, hosted by the Southwater Interfaith Forum at Holy Innocents Church. He emphasised that all faiths seek peace, saying "the peace which God offers us is not a human sort of peace but the peace which sees us as infinitely worthy and precious. Seeing the devastating suffering brought on by this war, we seek to share God's peace and call each person, each refugee, our friend."

In the rural parish of Ewhurst and Bodiam in East Sussex Fr Christopher Irvine had the opportunity to meet and pray with a Russian nun and a Ukrainian priest. He said, ‘You wouldn’t expect to find an Orthodox Convent tucked away in rural East Sussex, but there is one in the parish of Ewhurst in the far east of our diocese. It is something of a centre for Orthodox Christians living in Hastings and Brighton. I have always been warmly welcomed there and on a number of occasions enjoyed their hospitality.”

With the outbreak of the devastating war in Ukraine, Fr Christopher was anxious to visit the convent and assure the Nun Martha and her companions that they were much in our prayers at this time. Indeed, every public service in the parish church now begins with a prayer for the dire situation in Ukraine.

Both parishes are raising money for the Emergency Humanitarian Appeal, and support has been registered with the charity Sanctuary. But prayer is central to their response, and as well as praying for the Ukrainian people who are in such desperate in need, the people of Russia are also enfolded in their prayer.

So was it serendipity, or one of those God-given grace filled moments when Fr Christopher visited on Sunday to find a community of Ukrainians and Russians gathered together to celebrate the Divine Liturgy? Perhaps the photo says it all: a Russian nun, a church of England vicar, and a Ukrainian priest, one in Christ and praying together for peace.’

Fr Christopher with the Nun, Martha and the Ukrainian priest.

Fr Mark Heather from Steyning in West Sussex told of several offers of rooms and one of an entire house. So far, he said, contact has been made with a family from Kharkiv, two parents and four young children. The church is also supporting a local community action group, Steyning Refugee Help, which has been revived with a relaunched website, https://steyningrefugeehelp.co.uk This continues and builds on existing support for refugees in the town.

School Children, aged 5 – 13 from the Prebendal School in Chichester, took part in prayers for Ukraine in a service held in Chichester Cathedral. Rev Irene Smale, the school chaplain said, “It was very moving. They wrote their prayers on pieces of card cut out in the shape of blue teardrops, white doves and yellow crosses. They placed them into the Ukraine flag. The flag carrying the prayers was then processed back into school in silence. We just want to let the Ukrainian people know they are being prayed for by children.