“A church is a place of prayer, but also of meeting”

Why did you choose this show?

“Terra Alsatia» is one of the activities that we wanted to mark with a white stone the 125 years of our parish. We did not just want to celebrate an age, but to reread our history, that of our builders, of all the generations who prayed here. This show allows us to make this connection, to invite the youngest to be part of a continuity, in an act of transmission.

How did this project come about?

The Factory Council — which brings together lay people, the mayor and myself — was unanimous. After attending performances of “Terra Alsatia” in 2024 in Mulhouse, we were convinced: this show, at the crossroads of faith and culture, speaks to everyone. It tells the story of a land, of a people, but also of a faith which continues to be transmitted.

Hosting such an event in a church requires a certain organization…

Yes, it was necessary to reconcile liturgical life and representations. Weekday masses were relocated to the other bell towers for which I am responsible — Sainte-Marie, Saint-Paul and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul — while Sunday mass at Saint-Joseph was maintained. Rehearsals take place in the afternoon, which allows us to celebrate funerals or weddings in the morning. Everything was done in beautiful harmony.

What lessons do you learn from this?

This experience has shown that a church can fully live its two vocations: religious and cultural. One does not exclude the other. The church is a place of prayer, but also of meeting. If it can be used for that, I can only say: Alleluia.

Some priests are hesitant to open their church to cultural projects. What would you tell them?

That they don’t have to do it alone. The priest is not a business leader: he is a member of a community. If a project is carried out by it, if it respects the sacred character of the place, then it deserves to be supported. You have to dare. These initiatives are a way of saying to our contemporaries: “This church is also yours.”

You arrived from the Congo around twenty years ago, you have been a priest in Colmar for three years, cHow do you live your mission in Alsace?

I see a continuity there. There as here, faith is nourished by encounter. I love seeing this church come alive, vibrating to the rhythm of prayer, song, light. “Terra Alsatia» reminded us that God does not allow himself to be locked into our habits: he joins us in history, in beauty, in shared joy. These 125 years of Saint-Joseph are not just an anniversary. It is an invitation to continue to be, together, a people on the move.