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To financially support the Chavanges International School in its initiative to house Ukrainian refugees, go to https://www.lifefunder.com/france

CHAVAGNES, France (LifeSiteNews) – An all-boys Catholic boarding school in France is opening its doors to Ukrainian refugees.

Preparations are underway at the Chavagnes International College, an English-speaking Catholic university preparatory school located in the heart of France’s Vendee region, to welcome at least 35 Ukrainian refugee boys.

“You know the parable in the Gospel, where if people don’t come to the wedding feast, you go out into streets and invite some more in?” said Ferdi McDermott, the school’s founder and current headmaster, explaining his inspiration for the initiative. “I thought to myself, ‘Forget the politics. Remember the children.’ What can we do as a school?”

He continued, “We are a poor school, with lots of holes in the roof that we need to fix. The cost of heating oil has gone through the roof this year … Well, listen, we can give [of] ourselves. We have got some space.”

McDermott initially promised to house and educate 20 refugees until summer. Moved by the plight of millions of displaced persons, however, McDermott upped his numbers and decided to err on the side of being too generous: “I’ve got 35 boys I have said yes to, even though we could only take 20. It means we are going to have to take on more teachers.”

“The cook is angry with me,” he laughed.

Even though student refugees may not be Catholic, the school plans to continue with its normal spiritual works, immersing all of its students in traditional Catholic liturgical practices while providing them an exceptional classical education. The campus, which once housed a seminary, features a traditional Latin Mass offered daily.

McDermott recognizes that it is important for families to know that at least one of their sons is safe from the horrors of war. He also understands that nobody knows how long the crisis in Ukraine will last. 

The result is that his proposition to refugees and their families is one of trust in the Lord: “We’ll let you come for free until the summer. And then after the summer, if things have calmed down, you might go home. If you want to stay, and you need financial help, we’ll just try to find it for you.”

To financially support the Chavanges International School in its initiative to house Ukrainian refugees, go to https://www.lifefunder.com/france

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