Released by the Assemblé des évêques catholique du Québec (AECQ)

May 6, 2025 - More than 100 years after settling in Laval, the Quebec Foreign Mission Society (SMÉ) is transferring ownership of its property located at 180 Place Juge-Desnoyers, on the banks of the Rivière des Prairies. The enchanting site will soon become the property of the Catholic bishops of Quebec, who will turn it into a conference center for the Church in Quebec.

In accordance with the wishes of the SMÉ, the building will continue to serve the Catholic Church while adapting to current needs. Conference rooms, modernized bedrooms, access to a chapel, and catering services will make it easier to welcome groups from across the province. In addition, Catholic organizations such as Development and Peace, the Office de la Catéchèse du Québec, Mission chez nous, and the Lucien-Labelle Foundation will set up their offices there and share the infrastructure. "Like the SMÉ, we will make this a place conducive to collaboration and exchange.

The new facilities will enable the Church in Quebec to bring together its driving forces while benefiting from an inspiring and welcoming site," said Bishop Martin Laliberté, Bishop of Trois-Rivières, President of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec and member of the SMÉ.

Construction will begin in 2027. During a gathering to be held on site on Friday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m., the SMÉ will officially offer the property to the bishops of Quebec. They will take this opportunity to recognize the SMÉ's missionary boldness and its hope for the future of the Catholic Church in Quebec.

The Quebec Foreign Mission Society was founded in 1921 by the Catholic bishops of French-speaking Canada. The SMÉ's house in Laval served as a training center, a pied-à-terre for missionaries returning home, and then a permanent residence for members. The SMÉ is present in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Canada.

For more information on the Foreign Mission Society, visit smelaval.org.