14 November 2025 marks a profound milestone: the 45th anniversary of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), founded by Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, who also celebrated his birth on this day.
In addition, it is the feast day of the St Joseph Pignatelli SJ known as the unofficial leader of the Jesuits in exile in Sardinia, after the suppression of the Society in Spain and eventual abolition of the order by the Holy See in 1773. Supervising its restoration, he is considered the second founder of the Society of Jesus.
The new foundation of JRS was in response to the suffering of Vietnamese refugees fleeing war and persecution. What began as a heartfelt call to action has grown into a global mission of hope, now present in over 55 countries, including here in the UK.
A Vision Born from Compassion
In 1980, Fr Pedro Arrupe, then Superior General of the Society of Jesus, watched in anguish as families escaped Vietnam in overcrowded boats, risking their lives for safety. They fled political persecution, economic hardship, and forced relocation following the end of the Vietnam War. Those associated with the former South Vietnamese government or military, and ethnic Chinese (Hoa) people, feared retribution and were targeted by the new communist government. Economic conditions worsened, leading to food shortages, forced relocation to “New Economic Zones,” and many fleeing as “boat people” in search of safety and a better life.
He saw in their plight a challenge the Jesuits could not ignore. His response was not simply to provide aid, but to offer accompaniment, to walk with those who suffer, to restore dignity, and to affirm the presence of God in every displaced person.
He wrote: “The help expected from us is not merely material; the Society is especially called to provide human, educational, and spiritual assistance.”
This founding spirit continues to shape JRS’s mission today: to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees and forcibly displaced people.
The Journey of JRS UK
While JRS was founded internationally in 1980, the roots of JRS UK began to take shape in the early 1990s. Br Bernard Elliott SJ was a key figure in the UK’s early refugee ministry, working with Vietnamese and Cambodian communities near Heathrow airport as early as 1979. By 1994, JRS UK had established itself in Stockwell, south London, where Bernard had set up the first formal office jointly with Stephen Power SJ, who had returned from JRS in Sudan and later with Chris Boles SJ, after his return from JRS in the Philippines.
Reflecting on those early days Stephen remembers: “The Jesuit Provincial, Michael Campbell-Johnston, who had helped Fr Arrupe to set up JRS International based in Rome, asked me and Bernard to set up an office next to CAFOD at that time. It was exciting as we did a bit of everything! Receiving people at the office with a variety of needs, visiting those in detention, contacting lawyers to get help, advocating for refugee rights with several networks and helping to send volunteers to JRS internationally. I, myself, went off to help David Townsend SJ (also of the British Province) in Nepal for a few months, before leaving the country again to go to JRS E. Africa 1997”.
Soon after Br Elliot, Stephen and Chris started JRS UK in 1994, they were joined by Sou Huoy Lam, who remains to this day our faithful finance assistant!
From modest beginnings in a converted coach house and shared office space with CAFOD, JRS UK has grown into a vibrant community of accompaniment. Today, based at the Hurtado Centre in East London, JRS UK supports hundreds of refugee friends each year offering the essentials for life: accommodation, food, clothing, toiletries, legal advice, emotional support, activities and a warm place of welcome.
Walking With the Excluded
In the UK, many refugees face prolonged destitution, detention, and uncertainty. JRS UK’s work is rooted in the belief that no one should be left behind. Whether through our casework, detention outreach, houses for men and women, a hosting scheme, and other services, we endeavour to embody Fr Arrupe’s call to “be with rather than do for.”
This year’s Jubilee theme, “Migrants: Missionaries of Hope”, reminds us that those forced to flee are not only survivors, but they are also bearers of resilience and renewal. Their stories challenge us to build a society that nurtures gifts and recognises the humanity of the “stranger”.
Honouring the Legacy
On this Founder’s Day, we remember Fr Arrupe not only as a visionary leader but as a man of deep faith and courage. From treating victims in Hiroshima to leading the Jesuits through Vatican II, his life was marked by a radical commitment to justice.
“Being with, rather than doing for” was his guiding principle.
With the help of many supports and volunteers, JRS continues to live out that principle through education, pastoral care, advocacy, and community.
One of the faithful volunteers at the Hurtado Centre is Fr Mike Smith SJ who has been administering the shop and caring for our friends for many years. He remembered our Founder with great affection: “I met Fr Pedro Arrupe in about 1990 when he visited Britain. He was the General of the Jesuits in all the world, directing some 30,000 Jesuits, yet he was so warm and friendly. When I spoke to him at a meeting, it was as though it was only me there, he listened so intently. A great man indeed!”.
Fr Mike went on: “I was the headmaster of a school run by Jesuits, when Fr Arrupe reformed what it meant to be a Jesuit school, clarifying that the aim of our educational work was to help the young to be “people for others”. It was a motto which transformed our work as Jesuits and it reinforced our commitment to helping those in any kind of need, both in our own work, in training and educating others. This of course inspired him when he founded JRS”. Fr Mike added; “I’m so happy to be working here now!”.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate 45 years of JRS, we also look forward. The global challenge of forced displacement continues to grow, with over 120 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. The need for compassionate, faith-driven service is greater than ever.
JRS UK remains committed to walking alongside those who seek sanctuary offering not just help, but hope, because refugees cannot afford to lose hope.
Br Stephen Power & Bernard Elliot in Stockwell
