Photo: Martin C. Barry
On July 3, Chomedey Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette, left, and Laval-les-Îles Liberal
MP Raymonde Folco, right, joined Agape executive-director Betty McLeod along
with many other friends and supporters to celebrate Agape’s 15th anniversary
on Notre Dame Boulevard.

It was appropriate and right for supporters of Agape to get together to mark the 15th anniversary of Agape’s first storefront location on Notre Dame Boulevard in Chomedey “and to give thanks for the work Agape has been able to do,” Fr. Michael Leclerc, the organization’s chaplain, said before celebrating a special mass on July 3 at Agape in honor of the occasion.
Helped and helping others
As he pointed out, many of the people who donate their time and energy at Agape are people who at one point or another needed the services of Agape. “Their lives were transformed by the work of Agape, and so now they try to continue that work, and I find that to be marvelous. I marvel, too, at how human these people are.
“They’re not superheroes. They’re not saintly women and men who never get tired or frustrated or upset. They’re not people who never have moments of uncertainty or doubt, or who never do or say anything wrong. They’re ordinary people who are trying to do something extraordinary. They’re trying to transform people’s lives.”
Spiritual nourishment
Fr. Gerry Westphal, pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Montreal, who has been a longtime supporter of Agape, said that in a world where more and more people are hungering for spiritual and emotional sustenance — “Mother Theresa probably said it best when she said we are suffering from a profound spiritual malnutrition” — Agape is providing more than food, clothes and other physical essentials, but emotional support and spiritual nourishment, too.
“This place has not been run just as an agency,” he said. “It’s not just a helping place. It’s a place that’s deeply rooted in the gospel.” He agreed with Fr. Mike that there are no saints at Agape. “But what’s the definition of a saint? It’s a sinner who refuses to give up. And if you’re a sinner you’ll feel very much at home here.
Mother Theresa
“That’s why I always feel very welcome,” he said, jesting a little. “To me this is the greatest gift at Agape. It provides a response to the hunger in the world in this little area. And it provides it in three ways: the physical, the emotional, but even greater still the spiritual.”
Fr. Westphal recalled the words of Mother Theresa, who said that when she and her fellow sisters went out on the streets of Calcutta and looked into the eyes of people who were needy, they saw the same eyes of Christ as they saw in the Blessed Sacrament and that they experienced in the Eucharist. “I think that’s what Agape is about more than anything. There’s that dimension that you don’t always see with your eyes. There’s that spiritual dimension. This is a blessing. A little piece of heaven right here in Laval.”
Privileged relationship
Fr. Peter Sabbath, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Chomedey, said it was privilege for him to be associated with Agape. “We’re thrilled to be connected and linked. We sometimes take Agape for granted. You know, somebody will call with certain needs and we just tell them here’s the number of Agape and they can help you or they’ll know where you can get the help that you need.
“These kind of resources don’t just fall out of trees in Laval or anywhere else,” he added. “I’m sure you’re all aware and involved in the very hard work and dedication that goes into it. We thank Betty and everyone else who are part of Agape and we certainly want to strengthen that link and our close friendship with Agape in the years to come.”