By Stuart Mann

Trinity, Port Credit, is trying to help a parishioner who has been living at the church since last October to stay in Canada.

The Rev. Steven Mackison, incumbent, said his church will continue to shelter Felicia (Ola) Abimbola Akinwalere, 43, even though Immigration Canada has ordered her to be deported back to her native Nigeria.

“I think in this case the needs of justice, which flow out of our love for Ola, supersede the demands of the law,” he said.

Ms. Akinwalere has lived in Canada for 17 years and has been a member of Trinity for the past 13 years. Her daughter, Alice, who is 11, was baptized at the church. Both Alice and Ms. Akinwalere’s husband are Canadian citizens.

Before she moved into the church, Ms. Akinwalere supplemented her family’s income by baby-sitting. She is a Sunday School teacher at the church and helps run the nursery.

“She has always been involved in the life of the community,” said Mr. Mackison, who is advocating on her behalf along with his parishioners, an immigration lawyer and the Rev. Majed El Shafie of One Free World International, a human rights group.

“We’ve had nothing but support” from the church and the surrounding community, he added.

Ms. Akinwalere came to Canada as a visitor in 1990 after her husband disappeared during civil strife in Nigeria. She married her late husband’s brother and had a child, Alice.

She applied for permanent resident status twice, but both times was rejected after Immigration Canada felt she would not be in imminent harm if she returned to Nigeria. Facing deportation, she turned to Trinity for help.

Parishioners donated funds to pay for her legal fees, wrote letters and contacted their MP, who wrote to the Minister of Immigration on Ms. Akinwalere’s behalf.

All their efforts failed. A week before her deportation, Mr. Mackison called a special meeting of vestry to find out how far the church would support her. “It wasn’t just about providing sanctuary. We were asking if the congregation would support Ola whatever she decided to do,” he said. The church agreed to help out in any way possible. The area bishop, Bishop Philip Poole, and Bishop Colin Johnson are also supportive.

That evening, Ms. Akinwalere remained in the church and has stayed there ever since, living in a room. She continues to attend services on Sunday and Wednesday, and her daughter Alice visits and stays overnight with her as often as possible.

Mr. Mackison says she experiences “highs and lows. Some days the church feels like a prison for Ola, but on other days she feels as though her house is God’s house.”

He said the people working on Ms. Akinwalere’s behalf are confident she will eventually be allowed to remain in Canada. Their immigration lawyer, Chantal Desloges, who is working on the case pro bono, has submitted an application to grant her landed immigrant status.

It could take up to three years before they receive an answer. In the meantime, they want Immigration Canada to stay her deportation order pending the outcome of her application.

“We want Ola to be able to go home to her family and wait for her file to be processed like anyone else,” he says. “We’re confident that the application will be successful.”

Until they receive word, they will wait and pray. Mr. Mackison urges others to help. “It would be wonderful if others would write, email, or call those who have the power to release Ola, and we would appreciate prayers for Ola, her daughter and our community,” he said.

If you would like to support Ms. Akinwalere’s efforts to stay in Canada, please write to The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 1L1 or email minister@cic.gc.ca. To contact the church, see Trinity, Port Credit.