The ‘O Companheiro’ Association, a community for the reintegration of prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, founded 38 years ago by Father Dâmaso Lambers sscc, inaugurated its new facilities this Thursday, February 13, in a building in Benfica provided by the Lisbon City Council.
“The goal of this initiative is not only to promote better living conditions but also to offer someone a new life, a fresh start,” said D. Rui Valério, who blessed the new facilities of the ‘O Companheiro’ Association, according to the Patriarchate of Lisbon.
The Lisbon municipality announced that the new facilities of the ‘O Companheiro’ Association, a male residence with a capacity of 29 beds—single, double, and triple rooms—for former prisoners, include training spaces and social, legal, and psychological support services. This project resulted from “a municipal investment of over 1.7 million euros.”
“The first safe harbor after years of storm; this house is not an endpoint for many, but the first page of a new story; the house of hope,” emphasized the mayor of Lisbon.
Carlos Moedas highlighted that the ‘O Companheiro’ Association “is the perfect example of a networked effort between the private and public sectors,” stating that “it is impossible to have an intelligent city without having a caring city.”
“This is truly a project that showcases the best of what humanity carries within itself—the willingness to extend a helping hand to others, especially when the other is vulnerable, when the other is someone who has found only closed doors in life,” said D. Rui Valério.
The new facility, “a dignified building in line with the mission it undertakes,” is located in Travessa da Granja, Benfica, and was inaugurated on Thursday, February 13, the anniversary of the Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) dedicated to the reintegration of prisoners, former prisoners, and their families.
“It never limited itself to providing soup or a roof; it offered everything to restore autonomy to those who had lost it, to prevent recidivism. But above all, to ensure that those who have served their prison sentence do not face a lifetime of social judgment,” said Carlos Moedas, as cited on the Lisbon Municipality’s website.
The Patriarchate of Lisbon reported that the President of the Portuguese Republic highlighted four key lessons during the inauguration ceremony. The “first lesson” was named after Father Dâmaso, “an example of how a migrant can change the life of a society.”
“He was unique. A great speaker who inspired others. His greatest work was his dedication to others, as prisoners were a very difficult area of pastoral care. He was very courageous and persistent. And it’s a good thing he was persistent. Without it, there would be ‘O Companheiro,’ but not these facilities—at least not until the 22nd century,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
According to the head of state, the “second lesson” was the work of ‘O Companheiro’ and former mayor Nuno Abecassis, “another persistent figure” who led Lisbon between 1980 and 1990.
The “third lesson,” he said, is about finding the “right allies” in this process, recalling his visit to the ‘O Companheiro’ Association in May 2018, which he called a “farewell visit.” The “fourth and most important lesson” was: “What defines each man and woman is their ability to rebuild themselves. Either we believe in that and speak of fraternity, or it’s all meaningless.”
“This inauguration is taking place today to align with the Jubilee Year of Hope; hope, as Pope Francis reminds us, is about transforming everything in life—even difficulties, hardships, and contradictions—into projects, promises, and seeds,” noted the Patriarch of Lisbon.
The new social facility in Lisbon, run by the ‘O Companheiro’ Association, which operates under the motto “So that no man is excluded by another,” includes accommodation, a dining hall and kitchen, a recreation and games room, various support rooms, carpentry workshops, and a clothing bank.
02/18/2025