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
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.