Toulouse: why we are going to build a new church in Toulouse, in the Borderouge district
A future Saint-Sauveur church will see the light of day, at the end of 2024, in the Borderouge district, announces the vicar general of the diocese of Toulouse. The last place of worship integrated by the archdiocese dates back to 2005.
At a time of proven dechristianization of French society, the diocese of Toulouse is preparing to build a new church in the Pink City, which has more than a hundred, many of which are classified.
After having acquired, a year ago, a plot in the Borderouge district in full extension in the north of Toulouse, the future church baptized Saint-Sauveur should open its doors to the faithful at the end of 2024. It will be deployed between the streets of Vignes and Edmond Rostan.
2.4 million euros
Built in red brick, it will offer a capacity of 150 places and will be built according to an architecture that favors roundness in the liturgical space, with a bell tower surmounted by a cross that can be seen from afar.
Around, a garden, welcoming forecourt, accommodation upstairs, meeting room for fifty people. On the budget side, without state subsidies (law of 1905), it will cost the diocese the sum of 2.4 million euros.
Half being financed by its own funds, the legs and the own funds of the parish ensembles, the other being the subject of a fundraising campaign in the form of a “general public and patronage” collection. “There are 400,000 euros left to find,” it says.
A general public collection
The reason for building a church when fewer and fewer worshipers are attending? The thirst for evangelization displayed by the new archbishop of Toulouse Mgr Guy de Kérimel during his installation, on January 30 in the Saint-Etienne cathedral, in any case pushes the local clergy to “look towards the future”.
“A church open to all”
“We know that three out of four people who enter a church are not from the parish, explains Father Hervé Gaignard, vicar general of the diocese of Toulouse which has 680,000 Catholics in Haute-Garonne. If it were enough to build churches to convert people, we would adopt the method, but this is not the case. Our project is to build a church open to all. A modern style church, rather round, symbol of a place of worship that surrounds, welcomes”.
The district of Borderouge, notes the vicar general, “is a new, important district, there is already a very active Christian community which gathers in the gymnasium of the Sainte-Germaine school to celebrate mass there on Sunday evening. »
Foundation stone, April 2023
On the calendar side, the diocese plans to lay the first stone in April 2023 for a reception of the works in September 2024. Bishop de Kérimel will launch the collection of donations, Thursday, October 6, during a round table animated by radio Présence. Finally, it is Father Norbert Mwishabongo, parish priest of the Minimes church, who will make the link with Saint-Sauveur.