Summer 2012 - South Central Community Sisters of Mercy

Convent welcomes refugees who
are finding their way in America
Six years ago, Hawa Sheriff
moved to a new country to
escape the violent war in
her homeland. The native
of Liberia had fled to Sierra
Leone because of her country’s
violent war that claimed the
lives of both her parents before
she was selected as part of a
resettlement program in the
United States. Today, Hawa is
one of seven refugees who have
found employment in Cincinnati,
Ohio, thanks to McAuley
Convent and Catholic Charities
Refugee Resettlement Program.
Through the program, refugees
from countries including
Iran, Bhutan, Afghanistan
and Russia have been hired at
McAuley Convent. Whenever
the convent has an opening,
it notifies Catholic Charities,
which finds a person with the necessary
skills. Catholic Charities supports the
applicant, providing a translator, if necessary,
to assist with the application, job
interview and orientation. In addition,
the organization follows up with phone
calls to be sure everything is going well
for both the employee and the convent.
Each refugee placed in the convent has
stayed for at least 18 months, with most
staying much longer.
Hawa, a certified nursing assistant,
came to McAuley Convent six years ago.
“When the war broke out [in Liberia],
everyone fled for their lives,” she said.
Her father died when his house was
burned, and her mother was killed in
the war. Hawa was separated from her
family, and was “chosen by the grace of
God” as part of an agreement between
the United Nations and the United States
government to assist refugees impacted
by the war. Hawa is happy to be at
McAuley Convent: “The sisters are very
2 • MercyMatters
Hawa Sheriff (right), a certified nursing assistant, cares for Sister Alice Marie
Soete at McAuley Convent in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hawa immigrated from Sierra
Leone when she was selected as part of a resettlement program.
nice and grateful. I’m glad to be here.”
Seraphine Mbabazi came to the
United States last year with her husband
and three children. Seraphine, who left
Rwanda in 1994 and lived in Zambia
before coming to the United States, has
been grateful for the program’s help in
obtaining medical care and assistance
with food stamps while her husband
Seraphine Mbabazi, a nurse’s aide at McAuley
Convent, moved to Cincinnati from Zambia with
her husband and three children.
looks for employment. Seraphine
originally came to the
United States because she did
not feel safe in Zambia where
she was living. Seraphine, a
nurse’s aide, likes working at
McAuley Convent and living
in the United States.
“I like living here because I
feel like I’m safe,” she explains.
“I have security.”
McAuley Convent has welcomed
refugees for more than
10 years and developed a partnership
with Catholic Charities
after Sister Judy Gradel became
convent administrator in 2005.
Because of the positive experience
Sister Judy already had
with refugees working at the
convent, she welcomed the
opportunity to work with
Catholic Charities.
“They’re very careful about whom they
send us,” says Sister Judy. “They really
make sure they send someone appropriate
for the position.”
Despite some challenges, the staff
and sisters at McAuley Convent have
welcomed the refugees and formed
friendships with them. Sister Judy cites
the language barrier as the biggest
obstacle. While the refugees pick up the
English language over time, the language
barrier can cause confusion in the early
stages of employment.
“Sometimes it’s hard to orient them
because of the language,” Sister Judy says.
“They make innocent mistakes because we
haven’t explained things well enough.”
Still, Sister Judy is pleased with the opportunity
the program provides both for the
refugees and for the sisters and staff.
“They’re all really good workers,” she
says. “It’s a good place to work because
people are nice to each other. We have a
lot of respect for each other.”