Jesuit Refugee Service Canada (JRS Canada) will hold its second annual benefit evening on June 6, 2026, this year celebrating the Syrian and Lebanese communities in an evening of culture, solidarity and shared witness.

The event builds on the success of JRS Canada's 2025 benefit evening, which celebrated the Vietnamese community, the first group formally sponsored by the Jesuits in Canada, a partnership that began in the 1980s.

"This event is a key moment in our mission year," said Norbert Piché, National Director of JRS Canada. "It gives us the chance to honour the contribution that people who fled persecution have made to the fabric of our society."

Guests can look forward to live Lebanese and Syrian music, catered cuisine, a raffle and moving personal testimonies.

Tevfik Karatop, Project Officer at JRS Canada, spoke to the deeper significance of the occasion: "I think the word 'fundraiser' is not enough to describe this event."

How the Proceeds Are Used
Proceeds from the evening support two core areas of JRS Canada's work.

The first is community integration. Throughout the year, JRS Canada organises a range of activities for newly arrived refugees, among them a summer camp weekend at a Jesuit villa in the Laurentians, an apple-picking outing and a visit to a traditional Québec sugar shack. These experiences help newcomers find their footing in Québec's culture and form lasting friendships.

The second is personal accompaniment. JRS community workers visit migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced persons in their homes, identifying their needs and responding to them as each person's integration progresses.

"This is essential support for people who have had to leave their countries for a range of reasons," said Jean Gardy Joseph, SJ, a Jesuit and community worker at JRS Canada. "Frequently arriving without resources, they rely on this support to have their most basic needs met."

How to Take Part
Those who wish to support this cause are invited to join JRS Canada on June 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, 10841 Grande Allée, Montreal, QC, H3L 2M8.

Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/h9bjzy4w or by calling 514-387-2541, ext. 258.

Source: https://canada.jrs.net/en/news/ourfirstfundraisingevent/