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At almost sixty years of age, Philippe Maillard settled in one of the poorest quarters of Lille with two of his Dominican brothers. He soon became a prison chaplain. He describes his experience, ‘like going home and being reunited with one's family'. In this book, Philippe Maillard recounts his adventure with talent, humour and poetry but also friendship and passion. He portrays the suffering, misery and gestures of solidarity he witnessed. To anonymous and excluded men and women - especially those classified as ‘thugs' - he announced the Good News. For them, the Gospel rang out with new echoes of anger and tenderness. On faces hardened by existence, the features of the Son of Man appeared: an unforgettable icon. This is a disturbing narrative, because it leads us along paths we are generally afraid to take, but it is also moving... and full of reasons to live and hope.