On November 3, 2023, the lights of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist lit up to welcome a hundred temporary foreign workers (TFW) to celebrate death. A celebration that originated in Mexico, it underscores that “life is alive”, as the popular Mexican saying goes.
Text and photos Francisco Salazar
Orchestrated by L’ANCRE, this commemoration aimed to bring together TFW from the region to provide them with information on their rights and responsibilities, and to link them with the support services and resources offered by partner organizations in the Migrant Worker Support Program, coordinated by Immigrant Québec.
Tribute to deceased loved ones
On one side of the presbytery, an altar has been installed thanks to the participation of several TETs. “Water, offered to the soul to relieve its thirst; candles, the light that guides souls towards us; papel picado, a pierced paper representing the wind and joy that surround the return of souls; flowers, a beautiful decoration that allows souls to guide themselves; sugar skulls that allude to death, always present ; the death bread, with its circular shape representing the cycle of life and death, allows souls to nourish themselves; and finally the photographs, like the one I’ve put up of my grandfather, which pay tribute to deceased loved ones”, explains Andrea Vasquez, a Mexican-born TET working in a manufacturing company, between tears and a big smile.
Not only did the community of Mexican temporary workers take part in this activity, but Colombian, Tunisian, Moroccan and Madagascan TFW also helped build the altar. They also sang along to mariachi music and shared death bread, a brioche sprinkled with sugar and scented with orange blossom or sesame seeds, and hot chocolate.
Activities, traditions and information to discover
In a musical atmosphere, the Justice Pro Bono team met with workers to promote the free legal information hotline. The Service d’interprète, d’aide et de référence aux immigrants (SIARI) was also on hand to inform workers about its free translation and interpretation service, available in over 52 languages. Finally, members of the Centre d’aide aux familles latino-américaines (CAFLA) took the opportunity to present their 24-hour hotline, which offers psychosocial and medical support.
The Day of the Dead came to a festive close. Gradually, the lights of St. John’s Cathedral faded. As if on parade, the TFW left the sanctuary in anticipation of the Feast of the Dead taking place again next year.
The project was funded by the Government of Canada.
