“Situated in downtown Montreal, with a beautiful green space that is open to the public and surrounded from all sides, the Cathedral faces new issues and challenges with respect to the growing phenomenon of homelessness in Montreal and specifically with groups of homeless people who have come to use Cathedral grounds as a meeting place and sleeping spot.”

“The Cathedral’s staff and members are aware that the people sleeping rough who choose to spend time inside the Cathedral during the day or sleep on the grass lack housing and are not accessing shelters of accommodation centres either by choice or due to lack of space. The Cathedral does not consider their presence to be a burden but an opportunity with regard to its spiritual and social mission.”

“According to YMCA Montreal there are approximately 900 people who are homeless in the downtown-west area of Montreal.”

“It is estimated that between 30% and 50% of homeless individuals have a mental illness. Severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression affect 10% of these persons.”

Montreal Cathedral staff say “Working with people who are homeless is normal Church activity” read about it here ….

What people who sleep in the grounds say about the Cathedral:

•  “It feels very safe to sleep on the grounds of the Cathedral.”
• “The people of the Cathedral are nice to us.”
• “We don’t feel personally judged at the Cathedral.”
• “There have never been any problems at the Cathedral.”

What Cathedral staff say about the people who stay on the grounds:

• “most of the people who are homeless and sleep here are cooperative and helpful.”

“We understand that by coming to the Cathedral  people who are homeless mainly look for a quiet place where they can rest their heads and be undisturbed. When the weather is cooler, they enter the Cathedral itself because they want to feel the warmth as much as they can before having to return to the cold streets.”

The Cathedral is proud to support