Opening up to the world and finding meaning. 

The Marseille branch of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in France bases its action on personal encounter with refugees and asylum seekers. Timothée Pigé sj and Bernard Delanglade share their experience on French RCF radio. 

Founded in 1980, the JRS is today present in 56 countries. In France, the association accompanies refugees and asylum seekers and organises accommodation for adult asylum seekers with local families as part of the "JRS Welcome" program, for an average of five weeks. 

To Timothée Pigé sj, who is part of the JRS in Marseille, the most important is to get the refugees out of the urgency of life on the streets and offer them “a true encounter”. In addition to family hosting, the JRS offers French courses. 

"To put human beings back on their feet", this is the goal of the JRS’s activities, according to Timothée. "Sometimes, everything is turned upside down, he says, the ones who thought they were giving find themselves receiving, and that is an extremely strong experience on the spiritual level". 

Bernard Delanglade and his wife have hosted refugees in his home for five years. “The objective is not to save the entire world, nor to hit your targets, it is to meet with people who seek asylum and to spend time together". He adds that this experience has "contributed to consolidating his life as a couple" and to opening up more to the outside world and finding meaning. 

Jésuites EOF