become a priest in 2024. They testify

It is a great opportunity to be ordained in a small diocese like that of Digne. I know the inhabitants of the city well. Every time I go to the market, I walk in the footsteps of Jesus: he too went to others. Many local producers and farmers are present and do not necessarily go to mass. I touch here the heart of my mission: to go to those who would not spontaneously come to us. If we become priests, it is above all for others. We are chosen by God to increase his glory among men, in this world and its realities. With the international, political and social news (the French political unrest, the war in Ukraine, poverty …), I note a strong desire for God. Sometimes some people wonder where they are in all this. I do not have the answer to everything, but I insist: we must above all trust in God! I remind everyone that as men we also have our share of responsibility and freedom, we must also take action.

In our diocese, it is customary to say that we have three castles: Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte and… the one from Sleeping Beauty at Disney (laughs). Beyond the joke, the diocese is in fact particularly diverse: some areas are still very rural while new cities are springing up. It is not easy to set out the challenges of my ordination because we do not know what the future holds. But what is certain is that a great challenge is presented: we must cover a territory that is growing with a decreasing number of priests. This year, for the first time in more than twenty years, there were three deacons and three priests to be ordained: what joy, what hope! In Melun, where I am currently appointed, I see many new faces at Mass. In this world where crises follow one another, the Church appears as a place of resources to find oneself. Recently, a lady came to see me because one of her children voted left, the other right. She was wondering how to bring peace back to the house. That’s already a first nice challenge.