Nos œuvres
Cultivating the land and the soul: the work of the Ferme Berthe-Rousseau
Photo : José Sánchez
by Fannie Dionne | photos : Ferme Berthe-Rousseau
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fter months of confinement in Montreal, I was happy to visit the 40 acres of the Ferme Berthe-Rousseau in Durham South. The organization’s mission: to welcome and house people living in difficult circumstances.. Marie-Ève Barbeau, one of the farm’s team members, received me with the joy and passion that were already apparent when we spoke on the phone. Although the farm is nondenominational, it is in fact part of the network of Jesuit works in Canada. Firmly rooted in the Ignatian value of contemplation in action, it offers residents an opportunity to step back from their day-to-day routine and gain a new perspective on reality, a perspective that is perhaps more focused on the positive aspects of their lives. “We are women and men who value life above all,” says Michel Corbeil, SJ, one of the founders. “This includes all of us and implies an awareness of what is happening within and around us.” The Ignatian dimension of justice and ecology is also being lived on the farm. “We are making choices that may seem
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