6 years ago, Father Jacques Hamel was killed in his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen. The emotion is still intense on this date of July 26. Back to the commemorations.
From Monday, July 25, the faithful and pilgrims were able to gather during a prayer vigil in memory of the martyrdom of Father Jacques Hamel and the victims of terrorism in the Saint-Étienne church. This Tuesday, July 26, the anniversary of the death of the priest, a silent march brought together a hundred people, taking the daily path of Father Hamel from the presbytery to the church.
At 9:00 a.m., Monsignor Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen, presided over mass and after the religious service, a gathering took place in front of the stele for peace and fraternity.
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The municipality of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray had organized a republican ceremony for peace and fraternity in tribute to Father Jacques Hamel.
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This commemoration is the first since the trial at the beginning of 2022 where three people were sentenced to 8 to 13 years in prison for “ association of terrorist criminals by the special assize court of Paris, the two authors having been killed by the police.
«We had a particularly reverent ceremony this morning, says Bishop Lebrun. 6 years ago, it was already a Tuesday and the Catholic Church already had the same texts to read, to receive in particular this parable of Jesus which speaks of the weeds and the wheat: say the good and the bad plant which are mixed and Jesus asks to wait before they are separated because he always had the hope that the bad becomes better. It was very moving for me after having experienced a trial of Islamist terrorists who were linked to the assassins of Father Jacques Hamel. It is the honor of our country to bring justice to those who commit crimes. It allowed us to collect details that are not insignificant. I think of this young police auxiliary who was at the emergency call centre. She was from Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. She saw that the help was going to the other church and thanks to her intervention the help was able to arrive in time to save the life of Guy Coponet. This trial helps us to mourn, even if it is difficult to do. Because Father Jacques Hamel is more alive than ever”.
The diocese of Rouen has launched a subscription to better welcome the many pilgrims who come to pray or to fill in the guest book located in the church of Saint-Etienne.
« We have already anticipated this phenomenon if there is a beatification pronounced with regard to Jacques Hamel, specifies Joachim Moyse, mayor of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. We have carried out studies to redevelop the space around the church in a qualitative way: both the forecourt but also the church square to have the possibility of parking and the reception of coaches and all this in a vegetated environment. »
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A subscription is thus launched on the occasion of the sixth commemorations of the attack, to create a dedicated space for pilgrims. The space will be adjacent to the presbytery where Father Hamel lived, a few hundred meters from the Saint-Etienne church. A project close to the heart of Archbishop Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen: “Father Jacques Hamel exercised his ministry in simplicity, joy, fidelity to the end, to the gift of martyrdom. He would like these places of pilgrimage to reflect the image of Father Hamel and his spiritual journey, in particular through a permanent exhibition.
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