A Family Reunited: A Parish Journey of Faith, Hope and Welcome
After years of waiting, uncertainty and prayer, Zion's mother and sister arrived safely in Vancouver on July 9, bringing an end to more than a decade of separation.
Their arrival marks the joyful conclusion of a journey that began more than two years ago when St. Augustine's Refugee Settlement Sponsorship Committee committed to privately sponsor their resettlement in Canada. Throughout that time, our parish and school communities faithfully supported the family through prayer, fundraising and countless acts of generosity.
Together, we reached the original sponsorship goal and walked alongside Zion and Esther through every stage of the immigration process. We are deeply grateful to every parishioner, volunteer, student, family and donor who helped make this day possible.
As the family begins this new chapter in Canada, our support continues. Because the sponsorship process extended over several years, increased refugee assistance requirements and the rising cost of living have created additional settlement expenses.
Parishioners who wish to continue supporting the family's settlement may use the Refugee Sponsorship envelopes available in the pews or make a donation through the parish office.
Please join us in thanking God for this joyful reunion and continue to keep Zion, Esther, their mother and sister in your prayers as they begin building their new life in Canada.
Parishioners Esther and Zion arrived in Canada in May 2022 as Syrian Kurdish refugees. They joined our parish and went through RCIA and came into the Catholic Church at Easter 2023.
Zion’s mother and sister are also Syrian Kurdish refugees who remain displaced in Turkey. As part of our parish’s social justice efforts, we are sponsoring their immigration application for their resettlement in Vancouver as privately sponsored refugees from Turkey.
As refugee women, they have endured over 15 years of civil war, sectarian violence, and forced displacement, and have been separated from Esther and Zion since 2013.
By 2014, advancing, barbaric attacks by the Islamic State on their Kurdish home city of Kobani (“Siege of Kobani”) forced them to flee on foot north to Turkey. Their home and most of their city was destroyed. They lost everything. In Turkey, they are registered as Syrian refugees.
Having lost their possessions and property in Syria and lacking the legal status and documentation to travel, combined with growing xenophobia against refugees, their opportunities for employment and therefore some safety and stability are very limited.
They are unable to return to their area of Syria due to continuous military assaults there, the on-going Syrian Civil War, and the practices of persecution and human rights abuses by the Syrian government and other warring groups against returning refugees.
Their resettlement and family reunification in Canada is both their hope and our parish’s goal.
The Goal
To support sponsorship application process.
This also includes the requirement to raise $33,500 to sponsor both Zion’s mother’s and sister’s resettlement in Canada. To date our parish has raised $23,355.
If you would like to get involved please contact us: [email protected]
July 2026 RSS Update
By the St. Augustine's Refugee Settlement Sponsorship Committee
A Family is Reunited
After years of waiting, uncertainty and separation, Zion's mother and sister are finally here.
They arrived in Vancouver on July 9, marking the end of a long and often difficult journey from Türkiye and the beginning of a new chapter together with Zion, Esther and their growing family in Canada.
For those who have followed their story, the road to this moment has been anything but straightforward.
Zion's mother and sister fled their home city of Kobani during the Syrian civil war in 2014 and have lived as displaced refugees in Türkiye ever since. In May 2024, they missed a scheduled Canadian immigration interview after being unable to obtain the travel permits required to travel within Türkiye.
This spring brought renewed hope. On May 11, both women completed their long-awaited interviews with the Embassy of Canada in Ankara, along with their required medical examinations. Their applications moved forward and, in June, the family received the news they had waited years to hear: travel to Canada was being arranged.
But even in the final days, nothing felt certain.
With flights booked for July 9, Zion’s mother and sister were still waiting for the travel and exit permits required to leave their village, travel to Istanbul and ultimately depart Türkiye. The situation was painfully familiar, and there were real fears the family could once again miss an important step in the process.
Zion and Esther, the Refugee Settlement Sponsorship Committee and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver continued working with Canadian officials and the International Organization for Migration to resolve the issue.
Then, on July 3, the news finally came.
The permits had been received.
“Family received all their permits! On their way July 9th. Praise God!” Evelyn Vollet, chair of the RSS Committee, shared with the committee.
For Zion and Esther, the arrival is the answer to years of hope, prayer and perseverance.
Throughout this journey, the St. Augustine's parish and school communities have walked alongside the family. Parishioners, students, families and volunteers have prayed, fundraised and quietly supported the sponsorship in countless ways.
Earlier this year, St. Augustine School contributed more than $3,000 raised through the inaugural Fall Fair, Christmas Market and other school events, helping the Refugee Settlement Sponsorship Committee reach its original fundraising goal.
"This is a beautiful example of our school community living out its faith through service, generosity and care for others," shared Principal Michael Yaptinchay.
Heidi Battiston added, "It was wonderful to see students, parents and staff come together over several events to support something so meaningful for our wider parish community."
Today, we give thanks that Zion's mother and sister are safely here and that a family separated for so many years can begin the next part of their lives together.
Please join us in welcoming them to St. Augustine's and continue to keep Zion, Esther and their family in your prayers as they begin the important work of settling into life in Canada
A Parish Journey of Faith, Welcome and Service
For parishioners who have joined St. Augustine's more recently, the arrival of Zion's mother and sister is the culmination of a journey that began more than two years ago.
It is also a story about what a parish community can accomplish together.
As part of St. Augustine's Social Justice ministry, the Refugee Settlement Sponsorship Committee took on the private sponsorship of Zion's mother and sister, who had been displaced in Türkiye since fleeing the Syrian civil war in 2014.
The goal was to support the refugee sponsorship application process and prepare for their eventual resettlement in Canada. This included a requirement to raise $33,500 to sponsor both women.
What followed was a truly parish-wide effort.
Through book sales, music nights, school fairs, pub nights and other community events, parishioners and school families steadily contributed to the sponsorship. Earlier this year, a contribution of more than $3,000 from St. Augustine School helped bring the campaign to its original fundraising goal.
But the work went far beyond fundraising.
Members of the parish prayed faithfully for the family throughout years of waiting and uncertainty. Volunteers supported communications, finances and settlement planning. Others have stepped forward to help with transportation, housing and the many practical needs that come with beginning a new life in a new country.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver has also been an important partner throughout the process, helping guide the sponsorship and working closely with the family and committee through the immigration and resettlement process.
Now that Zion's mother and sister have arrived, a new phase of our commitment begins.
Because the sponsorship process has extended over more than two years, the cost of supporting their first year in Canada has increased since the original budget was established. Updated 2026 refugee assistance requirements and the higher cost of living have created an additional funding need beyond the original $33,500 raised.
Parishioners who wish to continue supporting the sponsorship will find donation envelopes available in the pews this weekend. Donations can also be made through the parish office. Every contribution will help the committee support Zion’s mother and sister as they settle into their new lives in Canada.
There will also be practical needs ahead, including furniture and household items once long-term housing has been secured. We ask parishioners not to bring or drop off items at this time. The committee will share a specific list of needed items once the family's housing arrangements are finalized.
For now, we simply say thank you.
Thank you to every parishioner who donated, attended an event, volunteered, prayed or offered encouragement. Thank you to our school students, families and staff. Thank you to the many volunteers who have stepped forward to help prepare for the family's arrival and settlement.
The journey is not over. In many ways, a new one is just beginning.
As a parish community, we have walked alongside Zion and Esther through years of hopeful waiting. Now, we have the privilege of helping welcome their family home.
Refugee Settlement Sponsorship: Spring 2026 Update
We have received some very positive news. Zion’s family now has an interview scheduled with the Embassy of Canada in Turkey on May 11, 2026. This is an important step forward, though there are still many logistics to work through. Please keep Zion and Esther’s family in your prayers. And a tremendous thanks to our school community whose recent, generous contribution has helped us reach our fundraising goal! We’ll provide further updates once we know more.
Refugee Settlement Sponsorship: Fall 2025 Update
Over the past couple of years, many of you have come to know the story of Zion and Esther — parishioners who arrived in Vancouver in 2022 as Syrian Kurdish refugees and joined our parish community shortly after. Since then, your prayers, generous donations, and warm welcome have helped sustain their faith journey, culminating in their reception into the Catholic Church at Easter 2023 through the RCIA program.
Zion and Esther at 2023 Easter Vigil
Today, their hope remains focused on one thing: to be reunited with Zion’s mother and sister, who have been displaced in Turkey since 2014. Their separation began during the Syrian civil war and deepened during the Siege of Kobani, when their home city was destroyed by advancing ISIS forces. They fled on foot to Turkey and have been living as refugees ever since — unable to return to Syria and unable to move forward without a legal path to safety.
As part of our parish’s Social Justice ministry, the Refugee Settlement Sponsorship (RSS) committee has been actively supporting the private sponsorship application for Zion’s mother and sister to come to Canada. This work continues the parish’s longstanding commitment to refugee resettlement — including past efforts to support other displaced families.
Fr. Kamora, Zion and Fr. Igancy at June 2024 fundraiser.
Through this ministry, we’ve seen heartfelt prayers, community fundraisers, and a groundswell of support. To date, $24,355.37 has been raised against our goal of $33,500, with parishioners contributing through book sales, music nights, school fairs, pub nights, and other community events. The generosity of this parish is truly humbling.
November 2024 Concert Fundraiser
That said, the path to resettlement remains slow. Due to shifting immigration policies and backlogs at visa offices abroad, Zion’s mother and sister continue to wait — and so do we. There have been no new updates from our Vancouver Archdiocese or Canadian authorities regarding their next interview or approval timeline.
In the meantime, this update is meant to keep the community informed, engaged, and prayerful. We recognize that many parishioners have asked how things are going — and we want to honour that curiosity with honesty and care. As Zion shared in our brief Q&A (included in this insert), faith and prayer are what sustain them — and they remain deeply moved by your support.
For anyone who feels called to contribute, we invite continued support. Donations can be made to St. Augustine’s Parish, with “RSS Donation” in the memo line. Tax receipts will be issued.
Let us continue walking with Zion and Esther in this time of hopeful waiting — as a parish, in faith, and with love.
