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Creating a Perfect Blend

The Church of St. Leonard of Port Maurice and the Church of the Holy Name share a priest, but are otherwise quite different Roman Catholic parishes in Minneapolis, with their own memberships, cultures, worship spaces, and histories. They had been actively looking for an initiative to share that would bring their communities together in a common work, and after a long process of exploration and planning, they decided to work together to co-sponsor a new family in their journey from refugees to Minnesotans.

A Journey of Faith--One Year Later

When Colonial Church of Edina and Upper Room volunteers took the call from MCC Refugee Services last summer inviting them to welcome a 7 member family who had fled Afghanistan as refugees, they could hardly have imagined the bond they would form in the coming months. They shared some reflections with us as the family’s one year anniversary in Minnesota approaches, and we wanted to share a bit of their journey with you.

In response to another police shooting in Minneapolis

“The Minnesota Council of Churches expresses great concern that another black man has been killed by police in Minneapolis. Such acts traumatize entire communities and demand that we ask the question: do black lives matter in Minnesota? As people of faith and followers of Jesus, we call for full transparency in the investigation of this police killing. We call for more systems of accountability in policing statewide. We also join those envisioning alternative ways for addressing violence and providing safety in our communities.

In Response to the Supreme Court ruling on the Muslim Ban

While our CEO was on vacation, the director of MCC Refugee Services spoke at a press conference last week organized in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s upholding the Trump administration’s Muslim ban. Here is his statement:
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My name is Ben Walen, representing the Minnesota Council of Churches, where I direct the refugee resettlement programs.

A New Way to Move: Bike program partnership gives wheels to Somali youth

Riding bikes in the summertime has to be one of the most quintessential childhood experiences in Minnesota, and a new partnership between Refugee Services Mankato and Key City Bikes opened up that opportunity for Somali children in Mankato. Key City Bikes is a local non-profit with a variety of programs and a strong reputation in the community. Among other things, they are known as a donation site for used bikes, which they then fix and make available to community members.

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