The sun has barely set, but the streets are already coming to life in Méribel (Savoie). Like Courchevel, in the neighboring valley, the resort benefits from the start of the school holidays but also, and above all, from the alpine skiing world championships which bring together, for a fortnight, tourists, locals, athletes, organizers and simply curious people. This Monday evening, some are trading mulled wine for a rather special meeting: in the auditorium, at the foot of the slopes, Father René Pichon, a Savoyard priest and former top athlete, came to testify to the ties that unite sport and faith.
“Some think it’s contradictory, but the two worlds share the same state of mind, says Claudie Blanc-Eberhart, responsible for the pastoral care of tourism in the diocese of Chambéry. Why should the Church, then, live this great moment apart? » Seizing this opportunity « rare » – the last memory dating back to the Olympic Games in Albertville in 1992 – a small team combining volunteers from the diocese and the welcoming parishes thus imagined a tailor-made program.
Mass, conferences and blessings
That evening, the meeting attracted around thirty people: “It’s not much, but the main thing is that we are present”, we slip. For the Church, finding a place in a sporting competition is a challenge: during the World Cup final in March 2022, the « fair test » received a mixed reception, pushing the team to adapt to bounce back, with some success. The chapel of Courchevel was filled on the occasion of the celebration of February 6, accompanied by an opening concert: a first meeting with René Pichon brought together a hundred people there.
The organizers are now counting on the blessing of the skis, which will lead them to relocate to the snow front. “We will sit near the podiums, and the instructors will even join us to serve hot drinks”, rejoices Nicolas Bonnet, an invested parishioner.
The animation team takes care of its links with the official organization: the pastoral project is welcomed with joy by the director of the organizing committee of the event, the former Olympic skier Perrine Pelen, and encouraged by the municipality. His goal ? Remember that you can link your sports practice and your spiritual life.
“To evangelize sports culture is to promote the good game”
Among the public listening to Father Pichon on Monday evening, a young sportswoman wonders: “How do you manage adversity wisely when you’re in the midst of competition? »“When we think of the primacy of pride, the reign of sensation, the temptation to cheat, we understand that sport always risks turning superficial and violent if there is not the right mind, answers the priest. This is precisely where we can play a role: evangelizing sporting culture, in the end, is to promote the good game. Cohesion with your team, respect for your opponents, who help us to give the best of ourselves! »
Pastor of Aix-les-Bains for forty years, he generously worked there by marking his presence at the world rowing or cross-country championships, without forgetting the local particularity: mountain sports, which are willingly associates a “mystical quest”. These meetings are also an opportunity to remember that the practice of sport, in return, can nourish faith.
An experiment in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics
The Church therefore knows, here perhaps better than elsewhere, that the world of sport can become a privileged ground for reaching beyond the Christian community, “provided we work better with champions to make them ambassadors!” », already imagine Claudie Blanc-Eberhart, who began by inviting the Austrian Jörg Walcher-Schneider, former professional snowboarder and evangelical pastor, to speak on the sidelines of the World Ski Championships.
“A great athlete, however trained, testifies better than anyone to what the state of grace is: after his victory in the combined, Alexis Pinturault declared: “It’s a miracle!” », concludes, with a smile, René Pichon. As the 2024 Olympic Games approach, his conference is an experiment: the recording will be made available to the dioceses of France to feed their reflection on the theme and allow them to imagine, in turn, an unprecedented pastoral program.
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The Church bets on the Paris Olympics
The Catholic Church of France has embarked on an ambitious project around the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. A commission has been set up to prepare for hosting the biggest sporting event on French soil. Among its members are Mgr Emmanuel Gobilliard, bishop of Digne, named “Mr. JO” by the Vatican, Mgr Philippe Marsset, auxiliary bishop of Paris, as well as several priests or association leaders. Isabelle de Chatellus is the director of the Catholic Church and Paris 2024 project. The main objective is to mobilize the Church and promote its visibility during the Olympics.
