Monastery National School, Ardee, have completed their Lasallian Leavening Fund project that focuses on creating a greater awareness around refugees in Ireland, entitled, “Our Story, Your Story”.

A total of 36 pupils were involved in the project that examined the refugee crisis in Ireland with particular reference to their local town and school, culminating in the production of a thought-provoking video.

The project, which formed part of the transition programme to secondary school for 6th class pupils, helped the students explore the principle of concern for the poor and social justice, and promote the pupils’ awareness of the plight of refugees in Ireland, while helping pupils to understand diversity and encourage pupils to embrace one another's unique life stories.

The completed video in an excellent reflection of the work put in by the pupils as is sets the issue of refugees in historical context, while also providing a voice for those who have fled from their homes.

Much of the value in the his project comes from the research put in by the students as they learned about how the Irish people have been refugees in other countries over many generations. They discovered how those people were welcomed and how they went on to make a significant contribution to their new homes.

The project also helped students learn to consider the reasons why refugees fled to Ireland and the need to welcome them and help them integrate into our communities.

From a Lasallian perspective, one of the most interesting things about their research is that they discovered how St John Baptist de La Salle himself had welcomed Irish refugees to schools in France after they had flee their homes in 1700. This event is depicted in a stained-glass window in the Motherhouse in Rome.