To our dear friends and supporters,
We are coming to the end of 2025, and Communitas has much to report on!
Open Door. Open Door continues to be a successful and engaging weekly community meeting attended by many from the community, as well as men on escorted absences from various prisons in Quebec. Our Zoom attendance also increased this year as some of our members are getting older and frailer and are no longer able to attend in person. Average attendance throughout the past year numbered 28, including five on Zoom, with 13 ex-inmates.
Table Talk. Every Friday at noon, Communitas hosts a free 3-course hot meal at our offices. Attendance has been very good, averaging 20 people for lunch every week. Enthusiastic and inventive volunteers prepare meals with a variety of meat, vegetarian, salad and dessert dishes and the buzz of lively conversation can be heard as one enters
the Undercroft. Everyone chips in to do the dishes, put away chairs, and ensure that the premises are shipshape. This year, we also added an hour or two of games with fierce competition on the backgammon board every week.
Summer picnic. For the first time, our summer picnic was held at a new venue through the generous offer of Maison Joe Mell. As usual, there was an abundance of food, and the attendance was in the 50s. The location near to de l’Eglise metro was very convenient and we welcomed new faces to this much-loved annual event.
Chapel Activities. We have been blessed to have CSC Chaplains Constantin and Sabrina continue to support us, allowing evening Chapel activities to continue twice a month at Montee St-Francois Minimum and FTC Medium Security institutions, where attendance by prisoners is frequently in the high teens. Monthly attendance at Archambault Minimum Security during the day is also continuing.
One-on-one Pastoral Accompaniment. We have continued our one-on-one pastoral visits to incarcerated men in both Archambault Minimum Security Institution and FTC Medium Security Institution. In addition to providing pastoral support, this is an opportunity to identify men wishing to have a Circle of Support and Accountability
(CoSA) when they are released.
As we start our 2025 annual fundraising drive, Communitas welcomes your donations for our activities. This is particularly relevant as we receive no Government funding, leaving us wholly dependent on donations from our members and supporters.
Donors can choose among three ways to contribute: (1) the DONATE button on our website www.communitasmontreal.org; (2) via e-transfer to [email protected], (3) cheques can be mailed to our office at 1444 Union Avenue. We issue tax receipts for donations of $20.00 or more. Monthly donors would
also be a tremendous support.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all members, supporters and well-wishers for your financial and moral support, without which our work could not succeed.
Michele Rattray-Huish, Chairman, Board of Directors
Mouvement Communitas Inc.