This priest ran the Toulouse marathon to help finance the construction of a church
Is it the JO effect which acts on the pastoral sphere? This is what the participation of Father Hervé Gaignard in the Toulouse marathon, on Sunday November 10, 2024, might suggest. But the vicar general of the diocese of Toulouse is not at his first attempt. At 55, he is a regular long-distance runner and has participated in a marathon every year since 2017. This year’s has a special flavor: the marathon runner runs for the benefit of the construction of the Saint-Sauveur church in Borderouge. , in Toulouse.
A race full of symbols
Within the team of ambassadors, Father Hervé Gaignard is responsible for finding donors. When the idea came to solicit donations for the future church, an amount was set: participation in the marathon would have to bring in €10,000. “We offered donation tranches corresponding to a distance: €25 for 100 meters, €50 for 200 meters, €250 for 1 km, etc. »
For Father Hervé Gaignard, this marathon makes sense and represents much more than a race: “Building a church, just like preparing for a marathon, requires patience and perseverance. The race also crosses the city, which serves as a reminder that the church will take its place in its neighborhood. » He continues: “Finally, this marathon reminds us that sport is linked to the holy scriptures. Saint Paul, in his writings, establishes an eloquent parallel between faith and sporting performance. He exhorts Christians to follow Christ with the same determination as an athlete, encouraging perseverance “to obtain the crown of glory.”
The operation was a success for the priest who crossed the finish line, after 4h02 of effort, and managed to collect €12,000, or €2,000 more than the initial objective.
A consecration on December 15, 2024
This church, whose construction is almost complete, had an initial budget set at 2 million euros. However, the start of construction coincided with the start of the war in Ukraine, leading to an increase in costs of €300,000, mainly due to inflation and rising energy prices. The new budget therefore amounts to 2.3 million euros, including 1.1 million to be collected.
Despite this difficulty, the fundraising campaign, launched in September 2022, should reach its objective by December 2024. The Borderouge church will be consecrated on Sunday December 15, 2024, a few days after the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris .
The future church of Borderouge will be round with benches around the altar, placed in the center. “It was designed with the Christian community of the neighborhood who wanted a place to gather in conviviality and communion,” explains Father Hervé Gaignard. This new church, which can accommodate 200 people, is a relief for the faithful who until now met in the multipurpose room of a school.
