Rome experienced a substantial increase in the number or refugees, fleeing from disaster, persecution, and war in their home countries–mainly, but not exclusively from throughout the African continent. During this time, Italy adopted a generous and sometimes unregulated “open door” policy towards forced migrants. Many of these migrants made their way to St. Paul’s Within the Walls because they already had connections with the Anglican Church in their home countries. Others arrived to the church because of its central location–near the Termini train station, and still others arrived because the church had developed a reputation for welcoming and offering hospitality towards refugees. Then as now, financial resources were limited–but hospitality towards refugees was abundant.

Rev. Wilbur Woodhams, Rector of St. Paul’s Within the Walls at this time, invited Rev. Joel Nafuma, a Ugandan priest and refugee from the tyranny of Idi Amin, to take up a formal ministry towards Africans and other refugees in Rome at St. Paul’s.

This outreach grew rapidly and became an intrinsic part of the general ministry and identity of St. Paul’s in Rome. At the time, the numbers of refugees fleeing to Rome was rising because of civil wars, political upheavals, and revolutions. With little formal structure or financial stability, the center became well known for offering a variety of services with a force made up of almost entirely volunteers. When Rev. Joel Nafuma left, his position for the outreach program on church staff was not replaced. However, the informal work of continuing to offer hospitality to refugees continued.

In 1987, thanks to the initiative of several parishioners and the backing of friends from other churches, the center began a new path on a semi-formal basis closely linked to and dependent on the parish, but with a considerable measure of operational autonomy.

In 1992, the new Rector of St. Paul’s, the Rev. Dr. Michael Vono, proposed for the center to become a focal point of the church’s ministry, forming a more formal relationship with the parish to improve the coordination of activities.

On June 25, 1995, in the presence of Fr. Nafuma, who returned to Rome for the special rededication, and Bishop Jeffrey Rowthorn of the Convocation of American Episcopal Churches in Europe, the center was “rebounded” and reconsecrated.

Throughout the history of the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, the focus and flux of guests has varied with the ever-changing geopolitical forces at play around the globe.

For example, in 1987, 401 new registered guests arrived from Poland, but in 1990, 450 new registered guests arrived from Ethiopia. As the adoption of the euro and the economic strength of the European Union states took place in 1999, the JNRC had to tighten both the mission and services of the center towards forced migrants, only including political refugees, rather than those leaving for economic reasons or those arriving from other EU member states.

In 2012, the JNRC registered more than 1,088 guests – all political refugees. These guests arrived from 32 different countries with the majority from Afghanistan (42%), Pakistan (21%), and the Ivory Coast (11%).

The JNRC underwent a major restoration in 2014, thanks to the generosity of the Board of St. Paul’s Within the Walls and many other donors from around the world. The physical transformation represented not only the desire and intention to transform the programs offered, but to also be better equipped to transform the lives of those who made their way to the center each day.