This year, the Villette vow mass will be brought to life by 200 artists, including painters, visual artists, dancers, musicians, and a choreographer, regrettably unable to involve writers.
The theme is Exodus (s).
This mass, celebrated on Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, is symbolic in itself. Typically, prayers are offered for the deceased, but here for the Villette vow, prayers are offered for those who will die within the year.
The chosen theme, EXODUS(S), is timely. Migrants are featured daily in the headlines of our newspapers, making this exodus both singular and plural, for these migrants are both one and many.
We are: neither for, nor against but with, explains Brother Yves Marie Lequin. Everything is conveyed in this simple phrase. The other, the migrant, the foreigner, will we be the Good Samaritan? Neither for, nor against but with.
The 200 artists have a fantastic challenge to take on, a community of artists. The Villette mass in its 2017 edition is a call to charity, let us be the Good Samaritan, let us think of Lazarus and the rich young man.
The poster for this ceremony, featuring her photos, was created by Laura Hurt, a young visually impaired person. Laura has shown us the light, the light of her soul, a light that our hearts, blinded by selfish individualism, can no longer see.
Villette, gazing from its cloud drawn by Saint Exupéry, contemplates us; its mass is a hymn to life, hope, and charity.
The Villette mass will take place this March 1st at 6 PM, let us not forget: neither for, nor against but with.
Thierry Jan
