A Brisbane Catholic’s childhood connection with the Salesian priests in the Middle East has played a part in arousing her compassion in later life for Sudanese refugees in Egypt. PAUL DOBBYN reports
AS a child growing up in Bethlehem, Rosetta Andon joined in her family’s close connection with the Salesian priests there.
Little did she know this friendship would one day bear fruit which would nourish Sudanese refugees in Egypt.
Now living in Brisbane’s bayside suburb of Lota, Rosetta has been hosting Cairo-based Salesian Father Refaat Louis as part of her mission to raise funds to provide food, medicine and shelter to these often desperate people.
“Our family knew Fr Refaat when he was a young seminarian,” she said.
“I was a young girl then … twenty-seven years would pass before I caught up to him again.”
About a year and a half ago Rosetta, about to visit the Middle East, contacted her father David Hazboun still very much involved with the Salesian’s Bethlehem community centred around the Don Bosco Church.
This conversation would eventually connect her with the Sudanese refugee community in Cairo.
“My father mentioned Fr Refaat was now parish priest in the Cairo suburb of El-Zietoun,” she said.
“It so happened that part of my trip took in Cairo so I was able to visit him.
“I also met many of the Sudanese people who visit the Salesians’ Latin Church there.
“There were about 200 families – some 1400 people in all – as well as about 50 very poor Egyptian families that Fr Refaat and other priests were helping.
“The people were coming to the church door and asking for things like milk for their babies or medicine.”
Rosetta learnt some reasons for their difficulties from Fr Refaat.
“Many of these people are homeless … they are fleeing persecution in their own land,” she said.
“Egypt is a third world country … there’s often not enough work for their own people.
“Life is very hard for refugees in such a country.”
Fr Louis also explained that while Cairo’s population can be 22 million at night, it may be as many as 25 million each morning – people arrive from everywhere looking for work to survive.
“These people have nothing; some spend what little money they have just for accommodation,” Rosetta said.
And so a passion to help these struggling Sudanese refugees was born.
While in Cairo, Rosetta bought Egyptian parchment art and fridge magnets to sell back in Australia as part of a fundraising exercise.
All items were sold when, with Fr Louis, she visited the Salesian order’s headquarters in Melbourne.
There they met Australia’s Salesian Mission Office director Br Michael Lynch who helped organise a Mass and a fundraising lunch afterwards.
More than $2000 was raised and this will be sent to Cairo.
Rosetta and Fr Louis have further plans to raise much-needed money for Cairo’s Sudanese refugees.
On June 2 they joined with the Sudanese community at Lutwyche, in Brisbane, for celebrations at the church.
“They were very sympathetic to our plans to help their countrymen,” Rosetta said.
“Many had been in similar situations themselves, waiting to see where the United Nations would send them.
“Some had even visited the Salesians’ church in Cairo while they were living as refugees there.”
Last Wednesday, Rosetta and Fr Louis were to visit Coptic communities in Sydney’s Blacktown and Parramatta to seek support for Sudanese families connected to those localities.
Rosetta appealed to The Catholic Leader readers to contact her on 0432 195 322 if they had any fundraising ideas.
Fr Louis said it was important for the rest of the world to provide whatever help is possible for the refugees.
“They don’t have anything,” he said.
