Sant'Egidio organises Christmas celebrations for vulnerable people

Throughout the year, the Sant'Egidio community brings people living in poverty or loneliness together or their volunteers visit them. Christmas is no different. In various parts of Antwerp, several hundred people will be able to enjoy a Christmas meal together today and tomorrow.

The first celebration took place in the Church of Our Lady of the Nativity in Hoboken. ‘But everyone, including people of other faiths or non-believers, are welcome here, even though we are a Christian community. We help everyone who is weak and poor,’ says Filip Wiers of Sant'Egidio in Hoboken.

Home deliveries too

Consideration is also given to people who cannot get to church. ‘Our flying team will deliver another 50 hot meals to the homes of elderly people who are too weak or too ill to come here.’

‘Unfortunately, there is still great need. Celebrations should not be needed, but there is a lot of loneliness. There are elderly people who receive few or no visitors at home or in residential care centres. There is also loneliness in families, children who are left alone... We want to give these people a nice Christmas. It makes a world of a difference to them.’

Volunteer involvement

At all locations volunteers take care of the decorations, the beautifully laid tables and serve the guests. Earlier, they also collected Christmas presents. Tomorrow more celebrations are planned in Borgerhout, Merksem and Linkeroever.

In addition, at the Forensic Psychiatric Centre on the Antwerp Left Bank, the Linkeroever, Sant'Egidio is organising a Christmas party. This is where people who have been interned after committing a crime and who have been declared mentally unstable are housed.