The sun was also invited to the meeting of refugees, welcoming institutions and volunteers that took place on the 11th of march, at the Catholic University of Porto.

About 17 institutions and 200 people participated in this event, organized by Circulo Xavier (CX), with the Platform for Support to Refugees (PAR) and the Catholic University of Porto (UCP).

The aim of this initiative was to create bridges and join synergies, to approach to the real needs of the welcoming institutions and also to reflect and to open hearts to this new social reality that enters into our lives, at least, through TV.

They came from Barcelos, Santo Tirso, Guimarães, Baião, Matosinhos, Porto, Gaia, many different places in the north of Portugal; and they brought with them a little bit of Syria, Iraq, and so many other places. They also brought with them delicacies from their original countries, to share with us, on a multicultural and multigenerational lunch.

The children's laughs filled the meeting spaces. Their running between the tables with nibbles, throughout the outdoor sunny space, animated with games and shared jokes filled the day with contagious joy, as only children know how to do.

After lunch there was an ecumenical prayer, oriented by Padre Carlos Carneiro sj, and Ithe President of the Islamic Community Abdul Rehman Mangá, in a mix of languages and prayers. As Padre Carlos said, “Let us respect each other and make the path of our differences together; Let's be home and bread to each other;

Let us be builders of a loving civilization in order to be able to invoke God and say together: Give us  Peace, give us Your Peace”.

And it was effectively in a climate of peace and gratitude that the day was over, with a shared mass. This was the first meeting that brought together, in the north of Portugal, refugees, welcoming entities and volunteers. A day that deserves to be repeated