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'He never let you down': Father Emmett 'Pops' Johns remembered at tribute

Many braved the cold at Place Émilie-Gamelin Wednesday — including politicians, outreach workers and homeless men and women — to pay tribute.

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Kyla de Montigny and Chris Brown first met as runaway teenagers in Montreal during the mid-1990s. 

De Montigny, from Laval, had left her youth centre for Montreal’s streets. Brown had done the same, fleeing from his family in Prince Edward Island.

Arriving in the city, they were both told to look for a man named Pops — Father Emmett Johns, the priest who befriended thousands of marginalized youths and founded Le Bon Dieu dans la rue.

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More than 20 years later, they still remember the warmth inside the van Johns converted into a travelling shelter and the family atmosphere he fostered within it. They shared hot-dogs and hot chocolates, were given cigarettes, métro tickets and directions to other services available to them. 

“He never let you down,” de Montigny, 40, said. “Even if I had fallen, he was always there to help me back up. He never stopped believing in me. When everyone else shut their door, his was open.

“He probably saved my life,” she said. 

“You said probably,” Brown, 42, chimed in. “But he did save my life.”

Montreal Mayor Vaerie Plante and Parti Quebecois Leader Jean-Francois Lisee stop at a memorial set up in Place Emilie-Gamelin at vigil for Father Emmett “Pops” Johns in Montreal on Wednesday.
Montreal Mayor Vaerie Plante and Parti Quebecois Leader Jean-Francois Lisee stop at a memorial set up in Place Emilie-Gamelin at vigil for Father Emmett “Pops” Johns in Montreal on Wednesday. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

The two went to Place Émilie-Gamelin together Wednesday night, braving the cold with others — including politicians, outreach workers and homeless men and women — to pay tribute to a man all described as generous and indispensable to the city’s most vulnerable. Johns, 89, died on Saturday. 

“He was just trying to protect all of us,” de Montigny added. “Just when you thought society wasn’t meant for you, Pops was there to pick up the pieces and let you know that one day you could be part of it.”

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Hot chocolate is given out of the Dans La Rue van at a vigil for Father Emmett “Pops” Johns at Place Emilie-Gamelin on Wednesday night.
Hot chocolate is given out of the Dans La Rue van at a vigil for Father Emmett “Pops” Johns at Place Emilie-Gamelin on Wednesday night. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

In a short speech at the gathering, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante called Johns a great Montrealer who won’t be forgotten. 

“He had a big smile and a sparkle in his eyes, which were welcoming and invited you to speak with him,” Plante said. “That’s what hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of youths found in him — the hope that they needed.”

Montreal’s flag will be lowered at city hall in Johns’s honour for the days leading to his funeral, Plante added.

The same will be done with the Quebec flag at the National Assembly the day of the funeral, Premier Philippe Couillard told the crowd.

“He helped others without ever judging, yes, but this man also saved lives for his entire existence and we shall always remember him for it,” Couillard said, adding that a new provincial excellence award will soon be named after Johns.

Dans la rue’s van, parked nearby, served hot-dogs and hot drinks throughout the gathering. Some in attendance brought extra tuques, scarves and gloves to give to the homeless who came. 

Paper bags holding electric tea lights accumulated under a large painting of Johns, each one decorated with messages from those he helped through the years. 

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“Thank you for giving me a chance,” read one. “You accomplished more than you think,” read another. 

The Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal announced Wednesday Johns’s funeral will take place on Jan. 27 at St. Patrick’s Basilica. The mass will begin at 10:30 a.m. 

jfeith@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/jessefeith

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CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story said Montreal’s flag had been lowered. It will be lowered in the days leading to the funeral. 

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