In a Parisian parish, a candlelit feast brings the neighborhood every two months

Gaspacho of tomatoes and mozzarella, duckling with redcurrants and roasted potatoes, strawberry strawberry-chantilly pie: here is the menu of the feast which will take place on Sunday May 25, at 8 p.m., in an old chapel of the Saint-Ambroise church at 33, avenue Parmentier in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. For the past four years, every two months, these candlelit dinners with white tablecloths, renamed “Les Festins d’Ambroise”, bring together 80 to 100 people, most of the neighborhood.

“This friendly meal closes on fraternal Sundays which open with a long aperitif on the forecourt after the 11 am mass, and continue by a concert in the church at 4 pm,” explains Pascal Nègre, parish priest of Saint-Ambroise. If each guest, previously registered, pays 15 euros, “it is to balance the accounts. We do not earn any money! “Specifies the priest. In the kitchen, Théophile, 25, Joaillier Place Vendôme, officiates with four other volunteers, mobilized for the chore of pluches on Saturday afternoon.

Delive conversations

“Cooking is my passion. Ambroise feasts are a pleasure, a bit like I received 80 friends to share a friendly moment, ”confides this parishioner. By his side, his wife Marie-Colombe, 26, lends him a hand behind the scenes: “I define the theme of the meal and choose the artist who will sing between the dishes. This May 25, the Tradition Piquette Song Group will perform French songs to celebrate the arrival of summer. I prepare the posters and the flyers distributed in the church and among the merchants of the neighborhood because we are open to everyone. And I assure the service with five other people. »»

Installed next to an 18 -year -old history student, Solange, 75, retired secretary, is a regular on these Sunday feasts: “I am welcome and it is very friendly. The young people came to sit around me. It reaches me. “Arrival with her friend Kevin, restaurateur, Aurélia, a 53 -year -old actress,” said: “I appreciate spending time with the brothers and sisters of the parish. It allows me to get to know others better, to deepen relationships. “Vicar in Saint-Ambroise, Thomas Duthilleul concludes:” The feast allows you to have a good time together. The good dear and the music delights languages. And people talk to each other. »»