Feature story
The Ecumenical Refugee Programme is a nonprofit of the Church of Greece with over 40 years of activity in the field, providing support services to immigrant returnees, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Synyparxis, a term meaning “living together,” expresses the vision of the programme, shared Archimandrite Panteleimon Papasynefakis, general director of the programme: “We do not want to simply manage the migration – we want to help towards a society where people who have lost everything can find a new beginning.”
The goal of the programme is to assist people in rebuilding their lives - not as outsiders, but as equal members of the community. “Our mission has always been to live out Christ’s worlds: I was a stranger, and you welcomed me,” said Papasynefakis.
Synyparxis has a longstanding experience and expertise in legal assistance, having helped more than 10,000 people understand their rights and navigate the Greek asylum system. In 2020, seeing the rising number of children arriving alone and living in unsafe conditions, the Church of Greece answered a call from the State, and five shelters were created in the regions of Attica and northern Greece.
“These shelters offer more than a place to stay. They provide safety, care, psychological support, legal aid, education - and most importantly, a sense of belonging,” shared Papasynefakis.
“In the end, what gives meaning to our work is not the projects or the numbers. It is the encounter,” said the Archimandrite. “It is meeting the human person face-to-face — and recognizing Christ in them. The stranger is no longer a stranger. The ‘other’ becomes a brother.”
“As our Lord says, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me… These words are not just beautiful. They are a commandment,” encouraged Papasynefakis. “And they are also a promise - that Christ is truly present wherever love is offered.”
Learn more about the Ecumenical Refugee Programme “Synyparxis”
Message from Life and Work conference calls for renewed unity (WCC news release, 22 May 2025
