Friday, October 2, 2026, the priests gathered at the Prado Chapel in Lyon for a day of prayer, meditation, and fellowship centered on Blessed Antoine Chevrier. This event, titled «The Priest According to the Gospel: Entrusting His Ministry to Blessed Antoine Chevrier», was part of the celebrations for the 40th Anniversary of the Beatification of the Founder of the Prado and the’Antoine Chevrier Year : Follow Jesus the poor.
The purpose of this day was to give the priests an opportunity to step back, come together in fellowship, and to entrust their ministry to the Lord, following the example of Blessed Antoine Chevrier.
The meeting began with a The Way of the Cross, the Path of the Disciple and the Apostle, before continuing with a tour of the Painting of Saint-Fons, followed by a time of silent adoration.
At 6 p.m., a Mass of Thanksgiving and for the intentions related to the ministry of priests allowed anyone who wished to do so to gather for prayer at the Prado Chapel.
Starting at 8:30 p.m., participants were invited to gather for a time of meditation, intercession, and worship, in an atmosphere of silence and prayer.
At the School of the «Priest According to the Gospel»
For Antoine Chevrier, the priestly ministry cannot be separated from the person of Jesus Christ. The priest is called not only to exercise responsibilities and receive sacramental powers, but also to to be like Christ in the way we live, love, and serve.
The vigil booklet thus quoted a particularly challenging statement by Father Chevrier: «We must resemble Jesus Christ in virtue in order to truly be other Jesus Christs.»
This line of thought was one of the central themes of the day: How can we live out our ministry today by striving to model our lives, words, and actions after those of Jesus?
Father Chevrier encouraged priests to study the life and virtues of Jesus Christ so that they might come to resemble him more and more.
A ministry received from the Spirit and given to others
Meditation also led the participants to turn to the Holy Spirit.
In a letter to Francisque Convert, Antoine Chevrier wrote: «Ask God earnestly for His Spirit, so that it may be this divine Spirit that guides your every action.»
In his view, the fruitfulness of the priestly ministry does not depend primarily on the priest’s personal efforts, but on openness to the Holy Spirit and on the charity that must permeate his entire life.
The Gospel of Saint John, with Jesus’ question to Peter — «Do you really love me?» — shed light on this calling: it is out of love for Christ that Peter receives the mission to take care of one's lambs.
Simply Proclaim the Gospel
Another essential aspect of the priestly vocation, according to Antoine Chevrier, has been highlighted: the proclamation of the Gospel.
In a letter to a young priest, he emphasized the mission of teaching the faith and proclaiming Jesus using simple words that everyone can understand:
«These days, we should go out and preach everywhere, speak simply, and tell people that there is a God, because we must return to the basics: tell people that there is a God and teach them to love and serve Him.»
This insight echoes the words of Christ in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: «Go! Make disciples of all nations.».
For the priests gathered at the Prado, this call to proclaim the Gospel remains a very timely issue: How can we reach the men and women of our time today and help them discover Jesus Christ?
The Nativity Scene, Calvary, and the Tabernacle
Antoine Chevrier’s priestly spirituality is also expressed through three places that, for him, embody the path of Christ: The Nativity Scene, Calvary, and the Tabernacle.
In a letter addressed to a seminarian, he wrote: «You must represent the Nativity, Calvary, and the Tabernacle.»
The Nativity scene reminds us of Christ’s poverty and humility; Calvary, of the gift of his life; and the Tabernacle, of his enduring presence among humanity.
Father Chevrier thus invites the priest to follow in the footsteps of Christ, «the least of all on earth, the servants of all», with humility and charity.
This reflection resonated in a special way in the very place where the priests were gathered: the Prado Chapel, where the Prado's founder is buried today.
«Evangelizing the Poor»
At the heart of the priest’s calling according to the Gospel lies, ultimately, the mission entrusted by Jesus: «He sent me to bring the Good News to the poor.»
This passage from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, included in the vigil booklet, reminds us of the central role of the poor in Antoine Chevrier’s vocation and in the mission of the Prado.
In The True Disciple, Father Chevrier associates this mission with true inner freedom: evangelical poverty enables the priest to make himself available to proclaim the Good News.
«What freedom, what power this holy and beautiful poverty of Jesus Christ gives to the priest!»
A vigil to entrust one's ministry
The day continued with a Vigil for Priests, at the Prado Chapel. Alternating between passages from the Gospel, texts by Antoine Chevrier, moments of silence, and songs, this vigil provided an opportunity to reflect on the day’s key messages in an atmosphere of prayer.
In particular, the participants reflected on Jesus’ call to Peter, the mission to proclaim the Gospel, and the call to evangelical poverty and priestly charity.
The vigil concluded with a prayer led by Father Chevrier «O Word! O Christ!», a true prayer from a disciple asking for the grace to know and love Jesus: «Grant, O Christ, that I may know You and love You. Instill in me a great faith in You.»
Entrusting One’s Ministry to Christ Today
This year, as the Prado Family celebrates the the bicentennial of Antoine Chevrier's birth and the 40 years since his beatification, this day provided an opportunity for the priests to return to the essentials: to look to Jesus Christ, to welcome his Spirit, to allow themselves to be shaped by the Gospel, and to renew the gift of their ministry.
Forty years after the beatification of the Prado’s founder, his insight remains an invitation to seek, with simplicity and confidence, to become ever more priests in accordance with the Gospel, following in the footsteps of Jesus, who was poor and served the most vulnerable.
October 2 was thus one of the three days of events held at the Prado on October 2, 3, and 4, 2026, marking the 40th anniversary of Antoine Chevrier’s beatification by Pope John Paul II in Lyon.