A hand-made sign outside St. Andrew's-Norwood United Church in St. Laurent reads "459 days," but most of those attending an interfaith service last night didn't need reminding that that is how long a Colombian family has been in sanctuary there.

The people present for the launch of Sanctuary Week, many of them from the city's Latino community, have been visiting XXX, 57, his wife, XXX, 56, and their daughter XXX, 20, regularly for the past 15 months, bringing food and daily supplies and offering much-needed diversion.

"We're living each day. Every day is a blank page, so each day something is written," said XXX, speaking through her daughter, who is the only one of the three fluent in English and French.

The XXX are one of three families who sought sanctuary in Montreal churches to avoid deportation after their asylum claims were rejected and remain there. Other refugees are holed up in Vancouver and Ottawa.

This week, the churches housing them will be holding interfaith services like those put on yesterday by St. Andrew's-Norwood and Notre Dame de Grace Roman Catholic Church, where a Palestinian family took refuge in February.

The services, organized by the Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition, are intended to draw attention to the refugee claimants' plight and urge federal Immigration Minister Judy Sgro to set up the appeal division promised by her predecessor two years ago.

"It's partly a reminder to people across the country that these families are still being held hostage, in a sense, in the churches because the government is refusing to help us get them out," said Rev. Rosemary Lambie-Bromby of the United Church.

Union United Church holds its sanctuary service for the XXX family it is housing on Sunday, Oct. 24. See www.sanctuarycoalition.org