Formerly homeless Montreal priest living in a tent to help those who were like him
A priest in Montreal has returned to live on the streets to give the homeless in the city a new voice.
Though he has an apartment, Father Claude Paradis, 68, chooses to live in a tent nestled in the heart of downtown in the backyard of the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral.
"I spend my days in the tent, and spend my evenings on the street helping others," he said, as his gear dried in a small room he uses to assist people inside the Montreal Archdiocese.
Before he became a priest, Paradis was an addict living on the streets.
It was a chance meeting with the late Father Emmett "Pops" Johns that led to him turning his life around.
Johns founded a charity called Bon Dieu Dans la Rue with a mission to help people like Paradis.
"He taught me everything," he said.
Paradis decided to follow in Johns' footsteps, signing up for the Major Seminary of Montreal to become a priest.
"On my first day, seminarians were there in black ties and bow ties, and there I was with long hair, leather jacket, and cowboy boots," he said.
Paradis graduated and was ordained by the late Montreal Archbishop Jean-Claude Turcotte.
Paradis then started his mission, working with those on the streets and preventing the city from displacing the homeless.
"The only thing chasing them does is push them into other neighbourhoods," he said.
Paradis wants to continue helping, feeding and housing the poorest, even if it means joining them on the street.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Severe thunderstorms, 15 cm of snow: Canadian weather forecast highlights
Well into spring, some parts of Canada could experience a wintry comeback, while other areas are bracing for severe thunderstorms, according to local forecasts.
Pope apologizes after using 'homophobic terms'
Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests.
At least 60 reports of Lyme disease so far as Ontario enters tick season
Peak tick season is only just beginning but reports of bites – and tick-borne illnesses – are already higher than normal in Ontario.
Spy watchdog's foreign interference review finds 'unacceptable gaps' in accountability
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Public Safety Canada lacked a system for tracking who received and read specific intelligence on foreign interference, creating 'unacceptable gaps in accountability,' the national spy watchdog has found.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Man convicted in attack on Pelosi's husband back in court after judge's error
A man who assaulted U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in 2022 will have another day in court on Tuesday after the federal judge overseeing the case failed to allow him to speak during his sentencing hearing earlier this month.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
WATCH Airline pilot treated to stunning northern lights show during U.S.-Portugal flight
An airline pilot got quite a show on May 11 while flying from San Francisco to Lisbon when a solar storm caused stunning auroras.
Richard Dreyfuss' comments about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity lead venue to apologize
The actor Richard Dreyfuss showed up in a dress at a 'Jaws'-themed event in Massachusetts, where the blockbuster 1975 movie he starred in was shot, and then proceeded to make demeaning remarks about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity.