In Essone, the Saint-Joseph des Tarterêts church transformed into a place of life and culture
Its copper colors catch the eye. Hanging from the large cross in the center of the altar of the Saint-Joseph des Tarterêts church (Essonne), a globe warmly welcomes visitors. As a nod to the diversity of origins of the parishioners of this working-class neighborhood, this world map is in reality the tabernacle of the church. Since its construction in 1995 by the diocese of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes, the building has been designed as a place of visit open to all, Christians or not. On a daily basis, the Builders’ association offers varied activities and contributes to sustainably anchoring the parish in the life of the neighborhood, with its predominantly Muslim population.
On this autumn afternoon, David Morgant, a member of the association since its creation – concomitant with the construction of the church – is busy in the choir. With the young vice-president Mary Arpoudassamy, he remembers the manipulations to be done to transform the space into a meeting room. Under the altar, the small wheels are manually operated. With the authorization of the bishop, it can thus be moved. Hinged doors allow the sacred space to be closed. “This evening, the town hall is organizing a meeting on the local town planning plan, so it will have the choice between the parish hall and the “transformed” church on the ground floor,” explains the fifty-year-old proudly.
Games, outings, information…
From the first floor windows, little faces observe this strange spectacle with curiosity. Quickly called to order by their teacher, the students from the neighboring primary school came to take advantage of the library, accessible through a separate door. “In October 2014, the neighborhood media library burned down,” recalls David Morgant with regret. Once the astonishment passed, the association, which today has around forty members, decided to mobilize and requested financial assistance from the city.
In January 2024, she inaugurated this cultural space. In the bright room, whose openings overlook the church pews on one side and the tree-lined street on the other, a slate board indicates the week’s activities: reception of schoolchildren, computer workshops, discussion sessions. reading for children under 6, board game evenings, cultural outings, deciphering the news… The program is dense, the Builders team takes turns to ensure these proposals which are also deployed outside the walls.
In September, around thirty residents of Tarterêts went to the Comédie-Française to attend a performance of the Imaginary sick person, of Molière, in return for a contribution of two euros. “What an experience!” I was setting foot there for the first time, like all the other participants,” relates Mary. The student of Tamil origin, who has just graduated from an engineering school, is proud to be able to offer these escapades to as many people as possible: “Many do not allow themselves to make these visits. Yet we are so close to Paris. These activities allow us to get out of the church and the neighborhood. »
The taste of others
At the start of the evening, Father Frédéric Gatineau, responsible for the pastoral sector, welcomes the participants in the municipal meeting and supports Mary’s words: “The parish must not live in a closed circuit but be part of a broader and social vision . » He turns his eyes towards the bright red and yellow stained glass windows, the creation of which was chosen by the parishioners and accompanied by a program of conferences and visits – the work was also the winner of the Grand Prix Pèlerin du Patrimoine in 2021. The priest smiles: “Everyone should be able to enjoy the beauty, the light and the color of the place. It is not in our DNA to reserve them only for parishioners! »
Below, on the church pews, Serge and Denise Renard remember with emotion the beautiful mass organized here for their 60th wedding anniversary, last August. Invested in the parish since their arrival in Tarterêts in 1984, the couple are pleased with the work accomplished: “If such a brewing place did not exist, everyone would stay in their building or their community! » Fortunately for the neighborhood, the Builders do not lack imagination and continue to build bridges on solid and inexhaustible foundations: those of the taste for meeting and exchange.
Let’s keep our churches alive!
This report continues the series of articles illustrating the common commitment of the PilgrimCFRT – Le Jour du Seigneur and the dioceses of France to make our churches places of life open to all. One hundred and fifty years after its creation, our magazine continues its mission as a mediator in the service of the common good.