Clotilde Dumay (in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray), edited by Laura Laplaud 7:51 a.m., July 26, 2022, modified at 7:52 a.m., July 26, 2022
Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is preparing to pay tribute to Father Hamel, who was assassinated six years ago to the day in the middle of Mass by two Islamist terrorists, killed during the intervention of the police.
A silent march will start at 8:30 a.m. and will be followed by a mass.
Europe 1 went there.
Turn the page, but don't forget.
It was also a Tuesday, July 26, in 2016. In the early morning, Father Jacques Hamel was assassinated by two terrorists, in the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen.
Six years later, the town pays tribute to him, as every year: a silent march is planned for this Tuesday morning, starting at 8:30 am.
It will be followed by a mass and then a civil commemoration in front of the stele for peace and fraternity.
Joachim Moyse will give a speech there.
The mayor of the town now wants to turn the page.
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Maria still remembers every detail.
"We heard bullets, we saw everything," she explains.
The security perimeter, the bulletproof vest loaned by the police, the journalists on site.
Every July 26, the same images come to mind.
"I understand that we do not forget, but every year, every year, we should perhaps space out a little so that people can forget a little...", she confides.
Residents still in shock
Moving on is also what Eric would like.
In the past, Father Hamel had celebrated his marriage.
He was near the church during the attack.
So, six years later, they still talk about it with tears in their eyes.
"We were all shocked. We're going to move forward with that. It's catastrophic but hey, Father Hamel is gone," he says, moved.
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Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray: the slow reconstruction of the faithful
Arrived in the parish last year, Father Jacques Simon wants precisely to help the faithful to move forward after the tragedy.
At the beginning of the year, the trial of four relatives of the terrorists killed was a turning point.
"This trial brought out a lot of pain, suffering and at the same time, there was a strong testimony of love, of brotherhood," he says.
From now on, the parish wants to concentrate on welcoming pilgrims who come to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.
A subscription is launched from today to renovate parish buildings.