The Ornais following in the footsteps of Louis and Zélie
While two parish centers of the diocese (Flers and Ferté-Macé) have just experienced a pilgrimage to Alençon, Guy Fournier, deacon, administrator of the sanctuary, shares his perception with us.
What do you remember from these two days?
If they were very different in terms of the public present, for Flers (May 8) a very strong intergenerational presence which brought together many children with parents and grandparents, including catechists, while for La Ferté-Macé (May 24) they were more like “elders”, their common point was a desire to gain a better knowledge of Saints Louis and Zélie through a powerful time that brings people together while moving. In this regard, I believe that for many, there has been a real discovery of the relevance of the major life orientations of the saints of the Martin family to help us in our Christian life today, however diverse we may be.
How did they take place?
With the group from Flers, 150 people, serious preparation in advance with the creation of a booklet, allowed the children to discover the saints while traveling through the city. The approach being very fun and practical, we could perceive a real happiness from the children in going from one place to another, with, in each place, a volunteer from the sanctuary to welcome them and answer their questions.
With that of Ferté-Macé (30 people) the route was taken from the Basilica, to the Horlogerie de Louis, then to the Pont de la Rencontre, making a detour through the beautiful medieval courtyards of old Alençon. Everyone passed by a must-see: the Martin family house, rue Saint-Blaise.
What do you notice in particular?
With the group from Flers, a celebration of the Word, in the Basilica, which, at the end of the day, took place as if to recapitulate, in a collected atmosphere, what was clearly a festive day, the kind of day where it is clear that the participants are happy to be there and they express it.
And the new Louis and Zélie Welcome Center in all this?
It was the rallying point for everyone, with a teaching given in the chapel for the adults of the Flers group and another, longer one, given to the pilgrims from the Ferté pole in the Louis and Zélie room. The House was popular for picnics, either outside in a small, very quiet park in the heart of the city, or in the dining room. Appreciated: it's so true that several people say: I'll come back because it's really a place to “sit down”. We're good there.
With Bruno and Isabelle, the stewards, it was necessary to mobilize volunteers to ensure the stewardship necessary to ensure a quality of welcome.
Do the Ornais really have a discovery to make so close to home?
Yes, I really think so. It has a minimum biographical aspect to be acquired by visiting the places where Saints Louis and Zélie lived in various places in the Pays d'Alençon. But above all, there is a spiritual message: how and why did they live their faith daily in a way that was so useful to us?
This 19th century couplee century has a very topical message to deliver to us. They knew, day after day, in the joys but also the sadness and anxieties of everyday life, to move towards God, towards their contemporaries, with simplicity, assurance and humanity, which does not mean without trial and error sometimes. They show us a path, a type of relationship to live as a couple and family which contributes to increasing the stability and happiness of being together.
In short: learn to love.
