0:00:02 > 0:00:05The British people have spoken and the answer is, "We're out."
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Since the results of the EU Referendum,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11the country is facing changes and uncertainty on many fronts.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14The Church is no exception.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18When you have a seismic event, cracks open up,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22and some fairly unpleasant things can come out of those cracks.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25There have been comments on Facebook that people are going round
0:00:25 > 0:00:27to European people's doors saying,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29"Would you like us to help you pack?"
0:00:30 > 0:00:35If you think that all the situation is just smashing you down,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38you always can go to the church and just pray
0:00:38 > 0:00:42or just make your own conversation with God.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44This week on Songs Of Praise,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47we've come to Boston in Lincolnshire,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50the town that recorded the highest proportion
0:00:50 > 0:00:52of Leave votes in the country.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I'm here to see how the diverse and multinational church communities
0:00:56 > 0:01:00reacted to the reality of life after the Leave vote.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03And a year after her visit to the camp in Calais
0:01:03 > 0:01:06known as the Jungle, Sally has a surprising reunion.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And of course we'll be bringing you wonderful music from across the UK,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22with out first hymn reminding us
0:01:22 > 0:01:24that whatever might be changing around us,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26nothing changes the love of God.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53Hear the name Boston
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and you're inclined to think of the American city called Boston
0:03:57 > 0:03:59by the 17th century emigrants
0:03:59 > 0:04:01who took the name of their hometown with them
0:04:01 > 0:04:05when they left Lincolnshire in search of a new life.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06In recent years, though,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10the story has been more about people coming IN to Boston.
0:04:10 > 0:04:16According to the 2011 census, the town is home to a higher proportion
0:04:16 > 0:04:21of Eastern European immigrants than anywhere else in England and Wales.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23With many being Catholic,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27this has led to a marked increase in attendance at St Mary's Church,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29but it's not without its problems.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- Lord, in your mercy... - ALL:- Hear our prayer.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Most churches would welcome a rise in numbers attending.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38Do you?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Well, of course.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45And I think people generally do, but after all,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50St Mary's is a microcosm of Boston in some ways,
0:04:50 > 0:04:57and I recognise that people have felt bewildered to some extent
0:04:57 > 0:05:01and occasionally overwhelmed by the sheer numbers
0:05:01 > 0:05:06who've come very rapidly into the community.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Although there hasn't been an increase in reported hate crimes
0:05:10 > 0:05:12in Boston since the referendum,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16across the UK the police have reported a sharp increase
0:05:16 > 0:05:18in the second half of June.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It's a rise that's drawn a strong response
0:05:20 > 0:05:22from national church leaders.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27The outbursts of the last week, two weeks, may pass,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32but the signal has been set at "danger" for our cohesion,
0:05:32 > 0:05:37and the church must respond with a fresh effort in integration.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I've been in a few churches in the last week
0:05:42 > 0:05:43and I look round and I think,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45"I wonder how all these people are thinking."
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And a number of parish priests have said to me,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50"Please could you give us something
0:05:50 > 0:05:52"that is of reassurance to our congregations."
0:05:57 > 0:06:00We have to ask ourselves that golden question,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04"Am I treating others as I would like them to treat me?"
0:06:05 > 0:06:10Or, put it this way around, "Would I expect my fellow Britons,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12"who live in European countries,
0:06:12 > 0:06:17"to be treated in the way that some, a few people, in this country
0:06:17 > 0:06:20"are treating European citizens here?"
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Earlier this month, a joint friendship service was held
0:09:13 > 0:09:15by all the churches in the town.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Neal Mugglestone is the leader
0:09:17 > 0:09:20of the ecumenical group Churches Together.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22He voted Out in the referendum,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26as he believes it will benefit business, but he's also seen
0:09:26 > 0:09:29the effect the Leave result has had on the local community.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Over the last few years, as the population in Boston has grown,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35with more and more Europeans coming in to find work
0:09:35 > 0:09:40and find better lives here, that in itself has caused tension.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I think over the last recent weeks,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45since the vote took place, then, yes, there's been...
0:09:45 > 0:09:47That's heightened, if you like.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It's a shame, and it shouldn't be that way,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53but there have been comments on Facebook
0:09:53 > 0:09:56that people are going round to European people's doors saying,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59"Would you like us to help you pack?"
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Erm... You know, it shouldn't be like that at all.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Do you think in some ways churches can lead the healing for the town?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I think we must. Yes, without a doubt.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11As Churches Together in the town,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15we've got a great united feel between us.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17All the churches pull together, we work together,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19we do an awful lot of things in the town,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and that now needs to spread out more into the European community.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24We just need to find ways to do it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Let us pray for all the other countries of the European Union.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Yvonne Stevens has lived in Boston all her life
0:10:33 > 0:10:36and is a UKIP councillor.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40She's seen first-hand how her town and her church has changed.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I feel like a foreigner in my own town.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It feels like, really, if the sunshine was there all the time,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49one would assume one was on holiday.
0:10:49 > 0:10:55Because when you shop on Saturday, the place is full of people
0:10:55 > 0:10:58with a different tongue to mine doing their shopping as well.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03But isn't it true that the immigrants are filling jobs
0:11:03 > 0:11:05that badly need to be done?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09That may be true to a point.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13The amount of immigrants we've got...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16..is excessive.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I feel that we need to draw a line and say,
0:11:20 > 0:11:25"OK, if you've got the skill that we need, then welcome."
0:11:25 > 0:11:28But we can't, en masse, in my opinion,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31just say, "Carry on coming and swamp us."
0:11:33 > 0:11:37There are now three Polish and two English Masses each weekend
0:11:37 > 0:11:41at St Mary's Catholic Church where Yvonne attends.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42Could you have joint services?
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Would you like to work towards that?
0:11:44 > 0:11:45I would love it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50These people are coming to an English service
0:11:50 > 0:11:52simply because they're in England.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57And let them learn - but even if there's a social evening
0:11:57 > 0:11:59on at church, they don't come.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01They're welcome,
0:12:01 > 0:12:02but they choose not to.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Marcin came to Boston from Poland over ten years ago.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11He and his wife have three,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14soon to be four, children who were all born here.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18He runs his own business in the town and often leads worship
0:12:18 > 0:12:20in the Polish services at the church.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Some people feel that your community is not integrating
0:12:24 > 0:12:28as long as you're having your own separate Mass
0:12:28 > 0:12:30that's actually in Polish.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Yes, we can speak in English, but we always feel in Polish.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And, for me...
0:12:36 > 0:12:41I cannot express myself as much in English as in Polish.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47The English Mass is really...
0:12:47 > 0:12:51It's OK, I go to the English Mass sometimes as well,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55but singing Polish songs and praying in Polish,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00that's what was taught by my parents, by my grandmother.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02PRAYER IN POLISH
0:13:03 > 0:13:06It's really important for us to have Catholic Mass
0:13:06 > 0:13:08in Polish language here.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Christians are taught to love our neighbour
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and to welcome the stranger. Is that happening?
0:13:15 > 0:13:19I know that there are people who maybe they've experienced
0:13:19 > 0:13:24some bad things from immigrants or something,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26maybe that's how it is.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31But one of the most important rules in our faith is forgiveness,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34you know, we should forgive our neighbours
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and our neighbours should forgive us.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42I know sometimes it's hard, but this is where the process begins,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44from the forgiveness.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Well, from a hymn with words that date back to the 14th century,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35to a modern song that has been proving very popular with churches
0:16:35 > 0:16:38all around the world in the last couple of years,
0:16:38 > 0:16:43and shares the same sentiments of reassurance in turbulent times.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Here's Jess Clemmons with Oceans.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53# You call me out upon the waters
0:16:54 > 0:17:00# The great unknown where feet may fail
0:17:03 > 0:17:09# And there I find You in the mystery
0:17:09 > 0:17:15# In oceans deep my faith will stand
0:17:18 > 0:17:24# And I will call upon Your name
0:17:25 > 0:17:29# And keep my eyes above the waves
0:17:31 > 0:17:38# When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
0:17:38 > 0:17:45# For I am Yours and You are mine
0:17:45 > 0:17:51# Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
0:17:51 > 0:18:00# Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
0:18:00 > 0:18:06# Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
0:18:06 > 0:18:11# And my faith would be made stronger
0:18:11 > 0:18:16# In the presence of my saviour
0:18:16 > 0:18:21# Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
0:18:21 > 0:18:25# Let me walk upon the waters
0:18:25 > 0:18:30# Wherever You would call me
0:18:30 > 0:18:37# Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
0:18:37 > 0:18:41# And my faith would be made stronger
0:18:41 > 0:18:47# In the presence of my Saviour
0:18:50 > 0:18:55# And I will call upon Your name
0:18:58 > 0:19:04# And keep my eyes above the waves
0:19:04 > 0:19:05# When oceans rise
0:19:05 > 0:19:11# My soul will rest in Your embrace
0:19:11 > 0:19:18# For I am Yours and You are mine
0:19:20 > 0:19:23# Oh-oh. #
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Last August, Songs Of Praise hit the headlines
0:19:35 > 0:19:39when Sally visited the Calais camp known as the Jungle.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45There she saw the makeshift church built by Christians in the camp
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and met Biniyam, a young Ethiopian
0:19:47 > 0:19:52determined to worship in the most challenging of circumstances,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54and equally determined to get to Britain.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59When I talked to Biniyam in that simple church in Calais,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03it was hard to imagine what the future might hold for him.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05I certainly didn't think I'd be finding him
0:20:05 > 0:20:08in the heart of the Welsh community in Newport.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13The Bethel Church here runs a project called the Sanctuary.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Many asylum seekers and refugees are sent to the area by the Home Office,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and the church is helping them adapt to their new life.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Can we ask him another question?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Why do you want to play football?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Biniyam's learning English with some of his...
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Is this the English class?
0:20:29 > 0:20:31..fellow English learners today, and here he is.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Biniyam.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Hello, fancy meeting you here.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37How are you doing?
0:20:37 > 0:20:38I'm fine.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- You've got official leave to remain now.- Yeah, yeah.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Yeah, finally, thanks to God.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Remind me why you had to leave Ethiopia.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- They tried to kill you?- Yeah.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08He fled Ethiopia and travelled across the Sahara desert,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10eventually reaching the coast.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14There he joined 200 others as they tried to cross the Mediterranean.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27So everybody in the boat went in the water?
0:22:09 > 0:22:11After a perilous journey at sea,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Biniyam risked his life again to come here illegally,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17holding on to a lorry as it travelled through
0:22:17 > 0:22:19the Channel Tunnel.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Why didn't you stay in France?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Biniyam was able to prove his claim for political asylum.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47The Home Office accepted his life was in danger
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and have granted him the legal right to remain in the UK.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56Here at the Sanctuary, he's found a sense of community and friendship.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Sarah Croft runs the project,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and works with the many refugee and asylum seekers,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04offering practical and emotional support.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06For me, it's a demonstration of my faith.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10I don't want to just be a Christian that comes to church on a Sunday,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13reads my Bible and it's about me and mine.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15I think we need to be hands and feet
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and do things to demonstrate our love for people.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21What would you say to people
0:23:21 > 0:23:24who think that actually refugees just shouldn't be here,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26they should be somewhere else?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I would say, "Put yourself in their shoes."
0:23:28 > 0:23:32I would say, "If that was you and your family needing to flee
0:23:32 > 0:23:35"a very dangerous situation, would you stay where you were
0:23:35 > 0:23:38"and perhaps put your family in danger,
0:23:38 > 0:23:39"or would you try and get out
0:23:39 > 0:23:42"and come somewhere where your family can be safe?"
0:23:45 > 0:23:50What are your plans now, now that you are legally here in Britain?
0:23:55 > 0:23:56You want to be a nurse?
0:24:00 > 0:24:02How has the sanctuary here helped you?
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Back in Boston, whatever the issues the Leave vote has caused,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42everyone believes that things will get better -
0:26:42 > 0:26:44but it may take many years.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49We go to the church as often as we can,
0:26:49 > 0:26:56and if you think that all the situation is just smashing you down,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58you always can go to the church
0:26:58 > 0:27:02and just pray or just make your own conversation with God.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05He's always that light somewhere, you just follow it
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and you will find the answers for all your questions,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10for all the troubles you've got.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Just over three quarters of the reception class
0:27:16 > 0:27:22next...in the autumn, will be English as an alternative language.
0:27:23 > 0:27:31Now, those are the people who will naturally integrate here,
0:27:31 > 0:27:37and what we need to do here is see how we can lay
0:27:37 > 0:27:44sound foundations on which that integration can be built.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49We're looking at two decades, not two years.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50PRAYER IN POLISH
0:27:53 > 0:27:58People can learn a new language with which to bring up a family.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02But the last language that changes deep inside a person
0:28:02 > 0:28:04is the language in which they pray.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Because you pray in your mother tongue,
0:28:07 > 0:28:12and we have to find a balance of enabling people who arrive here
0:28:12 > 0:28:15to have some ministry in that mother tongue,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19in the culture in which their faith is nurtured,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23as well as inviting them to make their contributions
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and be part of the Catholic life wherever it is they might lead.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56That's just about it from Boston,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00but at this time of great change for our nation,
0:31:00 > 0:31:04our last hymn is a prayer that love, respect and tolerance
0:31:04 > 0:31:09might bring healing to all people wherever and whoever they are.