Rue des Martelots, European Heritage Days: the tradition of taking part in the European Heritage Days continued this year in 2024, on 21 and 22 September.
There was a visit to the chapel, a video and an exhibition retracing the life of Jeanne-Antide, with a new little corner of the pharmacy to discover this year. The young sisters invented a game for children, an hour of readings from the archives interspersed with music on flute, cello, zither, etc.
The event was advertised in the local newspaper, in the diocesan news and by distributing flyers, and attracted around 240 people.
We had agreed to give a warm but discreet welcome, as the public was very varied and needed to feel free to visit: students, teachers, parents of sisters, families passing through, neighbours happy to discover that behind the rather austere walls of our house hides a pleasant and quiet green space, Vietnamese people surprised to meet young sisters from their country and also an Italian family whose mother came from Naples… what a surprise to hear us speak Italian and to be able to visit the exhibition with a commentary in Italian.
As for the chapel, it always amazes the visitors: uncluttered, they say, silent, it is an invitation to meditation and peace. “Today,’says one young person, we need these spaces to distance ourselves and to start again…”.
The life of Jeanne-Antide often raises questions for all those who discover it, and we also felt the interest in the countries where the sisters live, with a particular focus on Lebanon and Sudan.
Our new archivist, Maryne, also welcomed visitors to the exhibition and provided musical entertainment, while Mireille and some of the Sisters, faithfully present at the gate or in the courtyard, invited visitors to enter the house.
Two wonderful days to be continued and reinvented!
