The Fraternity of Frères Franciscains de l'Emmanuel was founded in 1985 and is canonically recognized by the Archbishop of Montreal. There are four of us in Montreal with some ten lay members, and 23 brothers in Cameroon with approximately 60 lay members.  
Our charism is to be the presence of Brother Christ in the world by "BEING AND LIVING WITH," as a presence of universal fraternity, following the example of Saint Francis. Our core mission is the evangelization of young people and providing a compassionate presence among the poor in society. Since the foundation’s beginning, we have been welcoming young people ages 18 to 30 to come live with the Brothers. They can be students, working people or individuals seeking their way, who desire to live a humane and Christian journey with us. On average, these young people live with us for two to three years. We want to be witnesses to the Gospel with them, and by our presence and in a communal living situation to lead a simple life in a familial and fraternal atmosphere. More than 600 young people have lived with us, and the great majority have evolved in their faith and religious practice. Moreover, some have joined the Church as consecrated persons and even priests. Many have also established beautiful Catholic home lives in marriage. It is invigorating to journey with these young men and, for many of them, to have helped them prepare for baptism, first communion or confirmation. Our pastoral care is above all a work carried out in the intimate spirit of family and fraternity. A sense of being welcomed is essential for young people, to be welcomed as who they are and at their level. Being brothers WITH them. Frequently, we are their first experience of the Church, and they discover her with us. They meet other believers and discover that it is beautiful and enriching to get to know Christ and his love. Our purpose is to give them a personal experience with the Lord, and after this, everything else comes naturally, and they want to carry on growing in the Christian life.  
We also offer numerous youth activities throughout the year: 
1- The well-known Saturdays for Youth are held on the first Saturday of every month. This is an evening for young people to spend a time of spiritual renewal with quality resource persons who give instruction or present a testimonial. It includes a period for sharing with the team and having a dialogue with the resource person. The evening concludes with a Eucharistic adoration led by some of the Brothers and young people from the group, and accompanied with some good musicians. The remainder of the evening is a time for fellowship and games, another important way to develop friendships among young believers.  
2- Bible classes and, on request, training in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  
3- A Youth Weekend once a year in Chertsey, which usually attracts around forty young people. There is also the Pélé jeunesse KATERI.  
4- In collaboration with the Commission Jeunesse de la Famille Franciscaine du Québec, we collaborate on Hiking Weekends, Snowshoe Weekends and Camping Weekends.  
5- Various other activities for youth or adults (parish catechesis) or preaching at parish retreats or in various centres for spiritual renewal, or with the ADOS Group for 11- to 16-year-olds.  
6- We are also present for the poor in the area, helping to support them as much as we can by giving of our time, sharing food and more. We also take part in Sandwich Sans Nom (“No-name Sandwich”) which is a street presence for the homeless. We provide an apostolic presence as well in Bordeaux prison, many of whose inmates are quite young. 
For more information, we invite you to visit our website: franciscains-emmanuel.org  
  
Brother Denis-Antoine, fe  
Brother Minister