Sunday, October 4, 2026, members of the Prado Family and parishioners from the parishes of La Guillotière gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beatification of Father Antoine Chevrier by Pope John Paul II. A morning dedicated to remembrance and prayer, marked by the transfer of the relics of the Blessed, from the Prado Chapel to the church Our Lady of Saint Louis de la Guillotière, where the consecration of the new altar.
A Morning of Remembrance and Thanksgiving
The day began at 9 a.m. at the Prado Chapel, with the Lauds prayer. Forty years after the October 4, 1986, on the day John Paul II proclaimed Antoine Chevrier blessed at Eurexpo, the Prado community was invited to give thanks for the journey they had made since that celebration and for the fruitfulness of the charism received from the Prado’s founder.
At 9:30 a.m., the relics of Blessed Antoine Chevrier left the Prado Chapel. The procession led those present to Our Lady of Saint Louis de la Guillotière, one of the places deeply connected to Father Chevrier, since it was in this church that his funeral Mass was celebrated.
The procession, led by Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon, accompanied by the altar servers and the Father Armel Bouchacourt, pastor of the Notre-Dame Saint-Louis de la Guillotière parish, was closely followed by many members of the The Prado Family (Priests, nuns, members of the IFP—Institut Féminin du Prado), laypeople and consecrated laypeople, as well as parishioners from the neighborhood parishes.
The priests of the Prado General, the fathers Diego Martín Peñas, Luc Lalire and Joseph Nikiema, as well as those of the Prado of France, the fathers Dominique Pellet and Yves Delavoix, were, of course, in attendance. They were accompanied by the six priests from the’API 2026–2027, who came from five countries (Egypt, Guinea, Italy, Madagascar, and Mexico), as well as by the priests of the Vietnam and Korea.
This Transfer of the relics of Blessed Antoine Chevrier gave this morning a special significance. The man who had walked the streets of La Guillotière to reach out to the residents of this working-class neighborhood was symbolically brought back to the heart of this place where his ministry had borne so much fruit. On the day of his funeral, his casket had, in fact, followed the same route and was cheered by tens of thousands of people.
Blessing of the Bicentennial Cross
In the courtyard of the Notre-Dame Saint-Louis de la Guillotière Parish, Bishop Olivier de Germay blessed the Bicentennial Cross. It was a moment that was both solemn and convivial, during which everyone was able to reflect, pray, and venerate the relic of the Blessed Antoine Chevrier.
Mass presided over by Bishop de Germay
À 10:30 a.m., parishioners from Notre-Dame Saint-Louis de la Guillotière, members of the Prado Family, and the faithful from the region gathered for Mass, presided over by Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon.
This celebration was one of the highlights of the anniversary weekend dedicated to Blessed Antoine Chevrier. It combined the commemoration of his beatification with an event that was significant for both the parish and the residents of Prado: the consecration of the new altar at Notre-Dame Saint-Louis de la Guillotière Church, in which the relics of Blessed Antoine Chevrier were placed.
The faithful, who turned out in large numbers, gathered to experience this significant spiritual moment, marked by a liturgy of great beauty and punctuated by the notes of the church’s historic organ.
The celebration began joyfully with the entrance hymn Church of the Lord, followed by a blessing and the sprinkling of living water (I saw the rushing water). The assembly began the Liturgy of the Word specific to the 27First Sunday in Ordinary Time, reflecting on the psalm of The Vineyard of the Lord of the Universe, before listening to the homily and professing his faith. To read the text, Click here.
The highlight of the Mass was the grand, solemn rites of the dedication. After invoking the saints during the litanies, the congregation experienced a moment of deep emotion as the Deposition of the Relics of Father Antoine Chevrier right within the new altar. The bishop then recited the prayer of dedication, before proceeding to anoint the holy table with Holy Chrism (to the singing of Psalm 117) and to incense it at five points, causing the prayers of the faithful to rise like a sweet fragrance.
The Eucharistic liturgy took on a distinctly Pradosian character during the Offertory, enhanced by the recitation of the Father Antoine Chevrier’s heartfelt and stirring prayer : «O Word! O Christ! How beautiful you are!». Nourished by the song of communion Whoever has eaten this Bread, the parishioners left, renewed in their mission, sent out into the world to the joyful strains of the hymn May my soul live to praise You.
A consecrated altar, a place turned toward Christ
The consecration of an altar gives the celebration special significance. At the heart of the church, the altar is the place where the Christian community gathers to celebrate the Eucharist.
The presence of the relics of Blessed Antoine Chevrier in this altar serves as a reminder that his entire life was centered on Christ. His spirituality, deeply shaped by the contemplation of Jesus in the Nativity scene, the Calvary, and the tabernacle, invites us to discover in the Eucharist the presence of Christ, who gives himself and gathers his people together.
«Following Jesus in His Poverty»
Since the beginning of the’Antoine Chevrier Year, the Prado invites visitors to rediscover its heritage through the theme: «Following Jesus in His Poverty».
The celebration on October 4 is fully in line with this approach. Forty years after his beatification, Antoine Chevrier remains a spiritual figure whose witness invites us to return to what is essential: knowing Jesus Christ, loving him, following him, and making him known, especially to the poorest among us.
The morning thus unfolded as a journey from remembrance to thanksgiving, and from thanksgiving to a new sending forth. By welcoming the relics of the Blessed, the community was also invited to embrace, even today, what his witness can inspire in the life of the Church and in the mission to serve the most vulnerable.
An anniversary that continues… keep following in the footsteps of Blessed Antoine Chevrier
This celebration marked the conclusion of three days devoted to 40th Anniversary of the Beatification of Antoine Chevrier. From October 2 to 4, priests, religious sisters, consecrated persons, laypeople, young people, and children were invited to gather at the Prado Chapel to explore various aspects of the founder’s spirituality: the priestly ministry, youth, solidarity, and consecrated life.
The day continued at 3:00 p.m. at the Prado Chapel, with a tour of the site followed by Vespers. A time of prayer to conclude this anniversary in the chapel where the Founder of the Prado, the Blessed Antoine Chevrier.