1. Georges-Henri Lévesque A Builder of Institutions for Social Research

3. Québécois Social Scientist Quebec 1903-2000 Influenced by Fr. Rutten Founded School of Social Sciences at University of Laval 1983 Pearson Medal of Peace 1979 Comapanion of the Order of Canada 1985 Officer of the National Order of Quebec

5. Thomistic Basis “to act & to inspire to act” Course for 20 years on the morality & technical methods of action –To distinguish the place of social deeds in Christian thought –Prima Secundae of Summa Theologiae his foundation

7. School of Social Sciences Asked to found the School –at University of Laval, Quebec –it became a faculty in 1943 Catholic voluntary organisations felt threatened –too much like ‘social work’ with U.S. stress on technique, Anglo-Protestant inspiration –Lévesque responded: “ kindness is the real act, the gesture that witnesses to true charity. It will be all the better if that act produces more that is good, but to achieve this, it must be well done.”

9. Belgian Experience With Georges Ceslaus Rutten OP –invited him to Socal Weeks in Belgium 1930s –focus on practical issues –opened his eyes to the “world of work” in Depression –Met Mgr Cardijn, founder of Young Christian Workers –Inspiration to work in changing Canadian social context

11. Goals for the School Lévesque synthesising his ideas when 1938 School of Social Sciences project came: –general cultural formation in humanities –love of liberty, especially for Quebec –Thomistic need to draw on real life experience –relationship of rights & duties “we should all work as if our efforts could bring about paradise here on earth… but without hoping for its completion here below, giving optimism the last word nonetheless.”

13. To act & to inspire to act University connected to the local reality: –a Québécois-led faculty –theoretical reflection on ethics, but to aid general population “the university cannot reduce itself to maintaining the prerogatives of the elite, but must consider itself a democratic institution at the service of the people.”

15. Action External Service for Social Education –Centre for Popular Culture –evening classes –Faculty ‘pilgrimages’ to local church basements –Making citizens aware of rights Co-operative Movement –Belgian experience –West Canadian Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Founding the National University of Rwanda, Kigali –at request of the Master of the Order, –fundraised & helped set it up –Aim to serve the Rwandan people

17. Faith & Works “Fr Lévesque is not first of all a sociologist. He is a religious of the type a society can occasionally produce when it has defined the social function of a priest as broadly as possible: he is a religious who accomplishes the work of a lay person” (Leon Dion, a former student)