Our refugee sponsorship program embodies our commitment to human dignity and compassion. In partnership with local agencies and international organizations, we facilitate the integration of displaced individuals by providing holistic support. This extends beyond basic material needs to include cultural orientation, language learning, and access to educational and professional opportunities. We believe that every individual deserves a fair chance to rebuild their life, and our refugee sponsorship program is the cornerstone of this belief.

Sponsorship services are at the heart of the actions of the Jesuits of Canada. Historically, the French Canadian Jesuits have been among the pioneers of collective sponsorship in Quebec. For over forty years, we have sponsored refugees from all over the world.

Things have changed significantly since the era of the boat people. However, our desire to help and protect these individuals, enabling them to rebuild a secure life here, remains as strong as ever. Thousands of individuals have immigrated here through our sponsorship program. Our expertise in the field is recognized throughout Quebec. In addition to supporting refugee families in the greater Montreal area in their quest to reunite with their family members, we have supported sponsorship projects for various groups and parishes in Montérégie, Lac-Saint-Jean, the Quebec region, and even in Gaspésie.

Sponsorship changes lives by allowing individuals, couples, and families to find peace, security, and tranquility after a challenging journey. Some of these refugees were engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers. Others were cooks, postal workers, secretaries, but none of them had chosen to leave their country voluntarily. Faced with war, political repression, or other forms of violence, these individuals left everything behind. In a neighboring country, they tried to survive despite economic hardship, with the majority not even having the basics to live a dignified life. Some lived in hiding because their lives were in danger.

The collective sponsorship we offer at JRS is a way to reach out, to hear the suffering of all these people in search of safety and to say, “I am here for you, my brother. You can count on me, my sister.”

Need more information about our sponsorship program? Write to Hugo Ducharme, Sponsorship Program Manager, at hducharme@jesuites.org.

NB: Please note that we are unable to accept any new sponsorship applications this year. We currently have over 100 applications waiting to be processed. Thank you for your understanding.