A member of Villeray social action ministry, Conceptie coordinated with CDC Solidarit\u00e9 Villeray and several other local organizations and individuals who knew him well to create the Comit\u00e9 d’hommage Ugo Benfante. All joined forces to pay tribute to Father Ugo for his extraordinary contribution to the development of the Villeray area, especially in the form of the legacy he left to the Maison de Quartier Villeray and CDC Solidarit\u00e9 Villeray, which was his “worksite.” Conceptie explained, “Community cooperation was the focus of his work. He spent a great deal of effort on that, which is why all these organizations are here at 660 Villeray (Maison de Quartier) today.”<\/p>\n\n
A fitting tribute to a great man<\/strong> As a tree bearing fruit<\/strong> Conceptie met with Ugo Benfante on a more personal level in 2020, along with all the members of the social action ministry table. “He took the time to talk with each one of us, and when he came to me he said, ”What brought you to work in the social action ministry in Villeray?” I told him, “I am following in your footsteps, Father Ugo!” I compared it to a fruit tree that is planted beside a spring. Its leaves may change colours, but they never dry up. In its mysterious way, this fruit tree bears different fruit each season. I wanted this to represent his works! We’re all moving towards the same horizon, but we have differing perspectives. We don’t all do the same thing.”<\/p>\n\n “What you gave is what will remain with us…and will not be merely put away in rusty chests!” sang Conceptie as she concluded her testimony at the ceremony, expressing the hope that Father Ugo’s legacy would live on through “sharing, so that others may continue to grow.” <\/p>\n\n A legacy that keeps growing<\/strong>
\n
\nConceptie expressed how happy she was with the way the event turned out. Those present included Bishop Alain Faubert, Bishop Roger Dufresne, Louise Royer of the Social Action Ministry, Father Benfante’s sister, numerous men and women from religious communities, as well as “comrades of Ugo\u2019s in the struggle for social justice,” among many others. The scope of the event extended far beyond the Villeray area.
\n
\nThe crowd, quite diverse and eager to participate, heard several testimonies: “They didn\u2019t all talk about the same thing, but they all spoke of Father Ugo in terms of his charism as a priest who brought people together,” said Conceptie. The microphone was open to programmed speakers and to others as well: “We really wanted to give a voice to those without a voice, to those for whom Ugo advocated. We also gave the floor to those who collaborated with Ugo in advocacy work.\u2019\u2019
\n
\nAn acrostic was created based on his name:<\/strong>
\n
\n\u2018U\u2019 is for \u2018universal\u2019 and \u2018unifying<\/em><\/u>\u2019: “Father Ugo loved everyone; he lived the universal values of peace, justice, solidarity and love,” explained Conceptie, taking up a colleague\u2019s words. In his efforts at unifying people, he created the CDC (Corporation de d\u00e9veloppement communautaire de Villeray), and he was the reason for this collaboration and for the gathering together “in one voice” of organizations dedicated “to the well-being and the development of Villeray.” In addition, he was an important figure in the development of the local social action ministry.
\n
\n\u2018G\u2019 is for \u2018great\u2019:<\/em><\/u> “Ugo was a great man,” stated Conceptie, mentioning Pope John XXIII\u2019s adage: “A man cannot be great if he does not know how to be humble.” She continued, “He was very reserved, spending most of his time in the field with those at risk and those in precarious circumstances.\u2019
\n
\n\u2018O\u2019 is for \u2018organized\u2019,<\/em><\/u> because of the amount of organization it took to develop the community organizations in Villeray. <\/p>\n\n
\n
\nDuring the ceremony, a symbolic ritual was performed “around a fruit tree symbolizing Father Ugo, his values and all the work he has done throughout the Villeray area.\u2019\u2018 It is a pear tree that will produce four varieties of pears. <\/p>\n\n
\n
\nThe commemoration ceremony was certainly an important project for the Committee, but there are others yet to come! A book is being published in memory of Father Ugo, and it is likely that the Villeray community centre will be named after him in the coming months: \u2026to be continued! <\/p>\n\n
\nTo learn more about the life of Father Ugo Benfante, <\/a>visit:<\/p>\n\n