Each year, a mass is celebrated in memory of the benefactors, administrators, and deceased staff members of the Communal Center for Social Action (CCAS) of the city of Nice.
This year it will take place on Sunday, November 4th at 11:30 AM at the Chapel of Mercy – Cours Saleya.
This solemn event, with the presence of the CCAS administrators, is also an opportunity to thank the Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret and the Sisters of the Association Notre Dame de la Paix who continue to work within the Emergency Social Reception Center (night reception) in Old Nice.
This moment of remembrance is an occasion to honor the memory of all those who have worked as part of an assistance mission for the Niçoise population, either by participating directly in social activities or by contributing (donations, legacies).
A bit of history….
Social action in Nice has experienced a unique evolution tied to the specific nature of our territory and its annexation to France in 1860.
Unlike other large cities in France, Nice did not have a “Grand Bureau for the Poor.”
As early as the 14th century, at the initiative of the city’s notable figures, a confraternity took on the mission of assisting the population in need. The activities of this confraternity, which became the Archconfraternity of Mercy, involved distributing food, aid, and medicine to the poorest.
After the annexation of Nice to France, the responsibilities of the Archconfraternity were transferred in 1861 to the charity office, which was itself transformed into the Social Aid Office, and then into the Communal Center for Social Action, in accordance with the legislation.
Thus, the Communal Center for Social Action of the City of Nice is the heir to a very ancient tradition of assistance to the underprivileged, carried by the Archconfraternity of Mercy since 1328.
