HOST & PROMOTE COMMUNITY EVENTS
The Council views the hosting, co-hosting and promotion of events that bring together English- speaking Catholics and their loved ones, as well as the members of their network, as a means of contributing to the personal and collective vitality, inclusivity, and resilience of the community.
In October 2023, the ESCC seized the opportunity to promote the Newman Centre of McGill University’s Prayer Accompaniment Project. The heart of the project is prayerful accompaniment of those who have been selected to participate in the Universal Phase of the Synod on Synodality.
In June 2023, the ESCC enlisted the expertise of Statistics Canada in relation to a portrait of the evolving religious and ethnocultural diversity (in Canada, Quebec, and Greater Montreal). It then engaged the Annual General Meeting participants in small group work to launch its strategic planning journey.
In December 2022, the ESCC co-hosted a community gathering with the Office for English Pastoral Services (OEPS). The evening began with a panel discussion moderated by Fr. Raymond Lafontaine. John Zucchi spoke about his involvement with Communion and Liberation, Marybel Majorga talked about her new podcast A Walk of Faith, and ESCC Board member Talitha Cere spoke of the organization she founded, Momentum – A faith community for single mothers. Brian Traynor spoke about his work with the Divine Renovation ministry. The presentation of the Bishop Crowley Memorial Award to Eric Durocher followed. Eric was notably recognized for his extensive years of service for communications for the Archdiocese of Montreal and as editor of The Catholic Times.
RESEARCH
Identifying flagship projects, indicators of impact, and refining its processes and approaches impel the ESCC forward. This calls for consistently taking more data-driven decisions, and becoming more agile in relation to changes in the social and political landscape. Building on past findings (e.g., related to the 2019 Parish Newcomer survey) and developments (e.g., the Community Health and Social Service Network’s {CHSSN} Baseline Data Reports and mappings) help it define and design relevant activities with and for its target groups.
In the summer of 2023, the ESCC welcomed the Black Community Resource Center’s (BCRC) invitation to formalize a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding about sharing 2021 Census data with the OEPS.
The results of its September 2022 signature of a distribution agreement with the Quebec English-speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), taking a first step in contributing to the Community Knowledge Open Library (CKOL) on English-speaking Quebec, progressively takes on more meaning for the Council.
ADVOCACY & REPRESENTATION
In seeking to respond to language politics in a concerted way, the ESCC partook in the May 2022 rally organized by the Citizens Coalition Against Bill 96, to vigorously promote a vision of an inclusive Quebec.
Recognizing its tenacity and robust processes, and sharing its views on the challenges and opportunities at hand, the ESCC engaged in the mobilization led by the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) and sustains it. The Council endorsed the QCGN’s rigorous September 2022 Report on the Priorities of Quebec’s English-speaking Community for the 2023-2028 Official Languages Strategy, and joined a delegation of 30 leaders from English-speaking Quebec that met with parliamentarians in Ottawa in November in relation to Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act (OLA), to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts.
The ESCC is an active member of two QCGN roundtables: the Representation and the Data roundtables.
The ESCC aims to enrich its support of the leadership of young adults and to provide representation opportunities for underrecognized or insufficiently tapped voices, such as those of seniors and visible minority groups.
NEWCOMERS & ASYLUM SEEKERS
In light of the evolution of the profile of newcomers to Quebec and asylum seekers, and the reality of displaced persons and families (such as those welcomed from Ukraine, notably in or via parishes and our health and social service network), the Council sought to be proactive and broadened its approach and networking toward reducing the vulnerabilities acquired by this culturally diverse population, bolstering their sense of belonging, and identifying age-appropriate opportunities to contribute in daily life. Its bridge building encompasses organizations such as the Welcome Collective and Le Pont.
In addition to its commitments to organize thematic workshops and networking opportunities for newcomers, the Council will soon restart its analysis of the relevance and feasibility of a project dedicated to orchestrating collaborations to ensure the provision of schoolwork or French language support in parish settings. In all cases, it will systematically survey participants on their experience to inform next steps and adjust its outreach or its actions in a timely way.
SENIORS & SOCIAL PARTICIPATION
The ESCC has aimed to contribute to the wellness of seniors since the outset in 1981. It notably does this through its collaborations with Seniors Action Quebec (SAQ), the One Voice Coalition and the CHSSN protagonists involved.
In April 2023, the Council partook in the annual Goldbloom Family Forum. The keynote address by the award-winning healthcare journalist André Picard, on the theme of Aging with Dignity in a Changing World, was followed by an invigorating panel discussion with Dr. Elise Levinoff, geriatrician, Liv Mendelsohn, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, and Aaron Derfel, medical reporter. The interfaith opportunity seized was deeply enriching.