Mariupol to Belfast – we’re one family now
Revd Andy Hay, Curate Assistant in St Finnian’s, Cregagh, in East Belfast, tells us how very special new family ties have been forged as a result of the war in Ukraine.
St Finnian’s Parish, Cregagh, became our family’s home nearly a year ago. Our new friends, a family from Mariupol in Ukraine, also have a new home but they have had to do a great deal more to adapt. The Mariupol family are Mum, Dad, two daughters aged five months and ten, and Granny. And a cat. Here is a little of how they came to join our Belfast family here in Cregagh.
The Hay family
Having moved out of our family home and into the Curatage, we were finally in a position to rent it out. We had 39 prospective tenants lined up but, thanks to Covid, the rental was put on hold. One morning my wife asked if I had thought about using the house for a family in Ukraine. I had. That night, in my absence, the Select Vestry met and they had been having similar thoughts. The next day we signed up for the Homes for Ukraine Government scheme.
It was evident that the Government scheme was coming to nothing. Thousands had registered interest but had heard nothing back. There was, however, the option of sponsoring people from Ukraine and applying for a visa on their behalf.
One evening we were looking at a Facebook page dedicated to finding homes UK for Ukrainians. The page was a bit of a nightmare really, a cross between a wartime railway platform full of evacuees, and a meat market. Every now and then a picture of an attractive young woman was posted: Can you find me a home? Young men would reply: Yes!
A picture of a family from Mariupol came up with the message: Can you help my friends? We made contact.
Do you speak any English? No. Can you use Google translate? Yes. Where are you now? Poland. Are you safe? Yes. We have a cat. It has a passport.
The Mariupol family
Having been burned out of their family home some months before, the Mariupol family had found a room to rent in Warsaw, Poland. The decimation of their home city and the loss of family members had been just the start. The baby was born during a military onslaught in February 2022. Since then they had been taken into Russia against their will, had managed to travel north through Russian territory and had finally crossed into Poland via Latvia and Lithuania. How they stayed together and alive, God only knows.
The Parish family
The Select Vestry were keen to support the Mariupol Family and having consulted the parish accountants, they decided to rent the accommodation on their behalf. The Vestry also agreed to cover the family’s travel costs to get to Northern Ireland, as well as a number of other expenses.
The congregation of the church were on board from the outset. There was no real question of whether or not this was the right thing to do. There were no prayer meetings during which guidance was sought. In retrospect, we were rather like children. We knew this was the right thing to do and so we asked God to overcome any barriers and bring the Mariupol family to their new Belfast home. Of course there is a time for seeking guidance. However, what we wanted to do seemed to coincide with everything we knew about our loving Father. It seems so simple when you say it out loud.
Visas
One Sunday night, eight of us from St Finnian’s sat in the church after the evening service and together we applied for the five visas that were needed for the family to legally enter the UK. It was a long and tortuous business but we got there. By around 11.00 pm we had made five appointments for the family members to go the Visa Centre in Warsaw to upload their details.
Once the visas had been applied for, we had to wait. During this time, the members of the church started to contribute items of furniture, kitchenware, bedding and anything that a family would need if they had to start from scratch. It was amazing. To be honest, the house could have been kitted out twice over. Alongside this, the congregation had begun to make financial contributions so that the Mariupol Family not only had the security of their own front door, they also had some financial security in case of emergencies. As well as the Select Vestry and the congregation, my wife took on the role of receiving and arranging the household items and I am pretty sure she didn’t sleep for a month.
Active waiting
It seemed the visa applications may have been lost.
For around two months we were bloody minded. We harassed politicians, we prayed, the rector made an appearance on Newsline, we prayed some more. Every now and then we would receive an email to say that the Home Office had made a decision about a Visa for one of the family members and a visit had to be made to the Warsaw office. We passed these to the Mariupol family. We harassed more politicians and prayed some more.
In Poland, the Maiupol family endured much frustration, hardship and a lot more waiting. Sometimes we would receive messages from them saying they had given up hope of coming but eventually all five Visas were awarded.
Arrival
The Mariupol family arrived in Dublin late on 2nd June. A few of us went down to collect them. Our rector has described it as being like a blind date. They were tired and disorientated. The cat was met by a very kind man from the Department of agriculture. As kind as he was, he still had to take the cat into quarantine. They will have the cat returned to them in September. It breaks their heart. They had pulled their family pet out of the rubble that was their home, protected it through Russia and beyond. The family are safe but not quite restored.
They arrived in Belfast in the early hours of 3rd June. I still have a video, sent to me at 3.30am of them going through the kitchen cupboards of their beautiful new home and seeing that they had more than they needed.
They are learning English, negotiating the welfare system, the eldest daughter started school, baby is getting strong, and the adults are itching to work. It is the start of a new phase, but they know they are not alone. The church are generous with their prayer and practical support. There has been a snowball effect as more members of the church are making moves to sponsor families themselves. God answered our prayers by bringing the Mariupol family here. So, like any normal children who have been amply provided for by their loving Father, we now ask for more.
The shape of the St Finnian’s family and the Mariupol family has changed. When there are fraught moments, and there are, we say: It’s ok, we are one family now.