Sparking a Generation of Evangelists: A Story from France
Astrid and Tiphaine laugh as they switch between English and French on the Zoom call. It is Maundy Thursday of Holy Week and they are sharing their testimonies before heading off to evening Mass at St. Marc and La Daurade Church, part of the Paroisse Etudiante de Toulouse (Student Parish of Toulouse).
Paroisse Etudiante de Toulouse is a non-geographic multi-church parish focused on the largest concentration of college students in France (140,000 students within the city).
The assistant priest, Father Antoine Laviale, interned with Divine Renovation at Saint Benedict Parish before his ordination in 2023. Now, he ministers within a parish seeing intense renewal, especially in the Gen Z population.
Paroisse Etudiante de Toulouse is unique, yet the overarching principles of Divine Renovation are at work. Their Leadership Team oversees smaller teams representing each of the parish’s four fraternities, composed of priests, young families and students — reflecting the unique structure of this student-focused parish.
The primacy of evangelization has spread beyond the clergy and leaders into the students themselves. Astrid and Tiphaine are evidence of this.
“More than you can ask or imagine”: A Story from France
Paroisse Etudiante de Toulouse Assistant Priest, Father Antoine, takes what he learned interning with Divine Renovation to minister to a student population hungry for the gospel.
Faith of a Child: A Focus on Evangelization
A parish’s ability to evangelize hinges on inclusion. When families do not find a place for their children to belong in church it often means the adults are excluded too. Laura states “you are limiting who you can evangelize to if you don’t provide something for kids.” She continues, a parish needs to ask itself, “who are we trying to reach? And what are their barriers for coming? And how can we mitigate that? And children’s ministry is a big one.”
