More than a Building – Mohsen, Wakefield Cathedral

As far as journeys go, giving up everything has to count as one of the hardest in our More than a Building campaign. But that is exactly what Mohsen and his wife did.

Civil engineer, businessman, asylum seeker. It was a journey Mohsen and his wife would rather forget, but as Christians living in Iran, they had no choice but to leave behind their business, their families and their homes, to escape persecution.

As asylum seekers, they both ended up in a hostel in Wakefield – and discovered Wakefield Cathedral and the twice weekly Bible classes for Iranians run there by the acting Dean, Canon Tony MacPherson.

Back in his homeland of Iran, Mohsen, 28, had gained a civil engineering degree, ran his own retail furniture business and built his own home. Here in the UK, he began volunteering in Wakefield Cathedral, translating for Tony’s classes and joined the welcoming team.

“We came here because of our faith, and we found this church and Tony’s classes. 

“It’s a good place here; it’s peaceful, and now I help with interpreting for others too.

“I know we have to start over; but we built our lives up before, and we can do it again,” he said.

The couple have just been granted leave to remain – and announced they are expecting their first baby later this year.