United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough

Members of Crinken Church near Bray have been forging new friendships with families from Ukraine who are now living in the area. Parishioners have opened up the kitchen facilities at St James’s Church for refugees and are planning a Ukrainian Family Fun week in July.

The idea came early on in the crisis at a vestry meeting in Crinken at which it was wholeheartedly agreed to share the hall and kitchen facilities with Ukrainian refugees. The thought was that individual families staying in different houses in the vicinity could come together to cook a meal and get to know other people from Ukraine. Less than a week later the church received an enquiry from someone in the Royal Hotel in Bray where 300 refugees are staying. A group wanted to use the kitchen to help with their celebration of Orthodox Easter.

“To cut a long story short they came to cook bread and cake on the Friday and Saturday for all the people staying at the hotel so they could celebrate their Orthodox Easter on the Sunday,” explains Crinken’s Rector, the Revd Trevor Stevenson. “I was asked to come and bless the bread before it left Crinken. I was then invited along with two folk from the church to come to the hotel on Saturday evening. I was not sure for what purpose but found out when we got there that they had arranged for many volunteers around Bray to come so they could say thank you for all the assistance they are receiving. It was a humbling, tear jerking and highly emotional experience. To be honest your heart would break thinking of the suffering they have left behind and those they have left behind.”

During Crinken’s celebration of Easter, the church organised a trail for children of the parish around the grounds telling the story of Easter as they found one clue after another. They reserved Saturday afternoon for people from Ukraine. They got all the literature translated into Ukrainian and provided refreshments.

At the moment they are working with two other churches in Bray and some people from Ukraine to plan a Ukrainian Family Fun Week in the grounds of Crinken. There will be fun for all ages as well as a place to sit and relax away from the hotel. The week will run from July 4 to 9.

The video below was recorded and edited by one of the Ukrainian people involved and shows the bread and cake being cooked in Crinken’s kitchen followed by the celebration in the hotel.

Members of Crinken Church near Bray have been forging new friendships with families from Ukraine who are now living in the area. Parishioners have opened up the kitchen facilities at St James’s Church for refugees and are planning a Ukrainian Family Fun week in July.

The idea came early on in the crisis at a vestry meeting in Crinken at which it was wholeheartedly agreed to share the hall and kitchen facilities with Ukrainian refugees. The thought was that individual families staying in different houses in the vicinity could come together to cook a meal and get to know other people from Ukraine. Less than a week later the church received an enquiry from someone in the Royal Hotel in Bray where 300 refugees are staying. A group wanted to use the kitchen to help with their celebration of Orthodox Easter.

“To cut a long story short they came to cook bread and cake on the Friday and Saturday for all the people staying at the hotel so they could celebrate their Orthodox Easter on the Sunday,” explains Crinken’s Rector, the Revd Trevor Stevenson. “I was asked to come and bless the bread before it left Crinken. I was then invited along with two folk from the church to come to the hotel on Saturday evening. I was not sure for what purpose but found out when we got there that they had arranged for many volunteers around Bray to come so they could say thank you for all the assistance they are receiving. It was a humbling, tear jerking and highly emotional experience. To be honest your heart would break thinking of the suffering they have left behind and those they have left behind.”

During Crinken’s celebration of Easter, the church organised a trail for children of the parish around the grounds telling the story of Easter as they found one clue after another. They reserved Saturday afternoon for people from Ukraine. They got all the literature translated into Ukrainian and provided refreshments.

At the moment they are working with two other churches in Bray and some people from Ukraine to plan a Ukrainian Family Fun Week in the grounds of Crinken. There will be fun for all ages as well as a place to sit and relax away from the hotel. The week will run from July 4 to 9.

The video below was recorded and edited by one of the Ukrainian people involved and shows the bread and cake being cooked in Crinken’s kitchen followed by the celebration in the hotel.