en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en ru en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en sv en en de en en en en en de en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en
The winning design of a competition is to be announced today. Hubert Wulfranc, the mayor of the town of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, sees the ceremony as an opportunity for the residents to grieve after the assassination of the priest on 26 July 2016 by two Islamist terrorists.
By Pascal Charrier, Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray | France
"May we be the last to cry." These were mayor Hubert Wulfranc's words a few hours after Father Jacques Hamel was assassinated by two young jihadists on 26 July 2016.
His voice trembled with emotion and his eyes were filled with tears speaking before a small crowd gathered in the forecourt of the Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray town hall, close to Father Hamel's church.
Just over six months after the attack we meet the mayor on the first floor of the town hall. He wears a black suit and gray roll neck sweater and strikes the table over and over with his hand as he speaks, excusing himself after the first strike.
Wulfranc, 60, became the mayor in 2002 after leading the cabinet of his predecessor from 1981 to 1995 then teaching history, geography and French at the technical college.
The communist councilor, who is also a departmental-level councilor, admits that "it was hard" to leave this room on 26 July 2016. The words he spoke outside simply "came out".
"In these moments, you know you have to say something and it's expected of you. But your mind is a blur. No one is ready to take charge of a tragedy like this. At the same time, I knew that I could depend on more or less every single one of my colleagues to do what they had to. You just have to."
He also had to keep running the town of 30,000 on the outskirts of Rouen, which was affected beyond its Catholic community. Between 300 and 700 municipal employees have been provided with psychological support. He says he didn't need any himself.
"The dignity of the population's reaction and those around us was a major support. If it had been any different, I wouldn't have been able to handle things as I have," he says.
This dignity was demonstrated during the ceremony organized two days after the attack. It was just two weeks after the truck-massacre in Nice, and tensions were high.
"People were supporting and rebuilding straight away. There was the election of the archbishop, which was clear cut. There were no slipups. There was something miraculous about it if you'll allow the expression."
Since then, Wulfranc has spoken on several occasions about Father Hamel's death. Although the level of emotion has abated slightly, the underlying message is the same.
At its heart is the notion of peace, just as it is for the sculpture that will be unveiled in memory of the priest in front of the church of Saint-Étienne next summer. A competition was launched and the jury will meet on 27 February to choose the winning design.
A representative of the diocese is part of the jury. Wulfranc, a PCF (French Communist Party) member doesn't feel totally out of his comfort zone among church members.
"I have many communist friends who are also practicing Catholics," he smiles, adding, "half of the Communist Party comes to church. It's a little odd perhaps, but it's part of the city's fabric. The Catholic workers movement is strong here".
Wulfranc remembers a front page of the daily paper Paris-Normandie from the 1970s. The headline was about "the worker and believer", referring to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.
"Everything changes, but that's still the same," he says.
The city's socio-professional makeup is still majority working-class with significant Spanish, Italian and Portuguese communities, which each bring their Christian traditions with them.
He isn't a believer himself. "My wife is Catholic," he says. "On Christmas day she goes to mass and I stay at home. But I'm very open. I think that faith and belief are part of human nature."
He said to the archbishop of Rouen, Mgr Dominique Lebrun, at a prefecture meeting, "I'm sure we have things to talk about".
Wulfranc has also become friends with Michel Lebouc, his counterpart in Magnanville (Yvelines), where two policemen were killed in a terrorist attack on 13 June 2016.
Following the assassination of Father Hamel, the mayor of Maganville, also communist, was determined to get in touch and eventually managed to reach Wulfranc by telephone. Others found it harder to reach him. He doesn't have a mobile phone, which earned him criticism after the attack.
"They said, 'it's not normal'. Perhaps it's not, but it's the way it is. I can always be found."
Born and raised in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, Wulfranc is never far away. He was re-elected in the first round of elections in 2014 with 84.90% of votes.
I'm a real homebody, he says, "I'm nearly always in the town hall or in the town. If I haven't heard something at ten to ten, I'll have got wind of it by five past ten. It's also a good way to delegate. If I can't be found, they call my deputy."
Get the latest from La Croix International. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter.
You may also like
French migrants through a camera lens
Lapland, cradle of the Sami culture
Controversial 'MyPriest' website was student project
What we have and what we need
SUPPORT LA CROIX INTERNATIONAL’S COMMUNITY OF READERS
Support La Croix International's unique blend of international Catholic journalism by making it available to people in Asia and Africa who can't afford a subscription and often don't have credit cards to pay for it either.
Why Pope Francis did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
Celebrating gay relationships in church is actually quite Catholic
The elderly pope's patience is put to the test
Elizabeth II, the “last Christian monarch”, has died
A challenge for Europe
Shaking up the economy
Peace, our common good
For 70 years she “was” the United Kingdom
Cooperation rather than competition
The elderly pope's patience is put to the test
Francis continues his push for a humbler, more open Church
The pope and the praying menace
What was the August meeting of cardinals really about?
Is Christian hospitality enough?
"What fraternity does assisted suicide build?"
Live, learn, forget, repeat
When timing is paramount
The pandemic, Christian faith and the perils of kids living in the digital world
"It’s been powerful to watch people enunciate a theology of care for creation"
Laudato si’ guides Indian archdiocese to help fisherfolk
Brazilian bishops stand up for the Yanomami people
The Gaia Man, James Lovelock
Pope calls for a new relationship with God, others and Creation
| Catholic Digest | UCAN | Living in faith | La Croix Africa | La Croix español
About Us | Contact Us| Newsletter Sign-up| Donate| Terms and Conditions| FAQ| La Croix| Confidentiality Policy| Sitemap