Born at the end of the war 39-45, in a Christian family, I always wanted to be a missionary. At the minor seminary, I met a White Father (missionary from Africa). What drew me to them was that “they prayed and ate together,” as the martyrs of Uganda used to say « mission in community life, to bear witness to the “see how they love each other ». I was ordained a priest in 1974 and sent on a mission in the Sahara desert. When missions were called into question, I experienced the Holy Spirit. Then, together with other White Fathers, we founded a small fraternity of missionary monks. This was the beginning of an exciting experience : new converts from Islam met Christ, while some Muslims gathered around Fr. Christian de Chergé and one of us in Tibhirine, in the bond of Peace. This experience could not continue in Algeria, nor even as White Fathers. The Bishop who welcomed us, Blessed Bishop Pierre Claverie, accompanied us up to the Lion of Judah and the slain Lamb.

We stayed there because we found prayer, a liturgical life, a life in community all simplicity and surrender. And we were the first two priests to join the Community already having a true missionary experience. In 1983 the Community sent me to found a house in Lebanon, in the midst of war, and subsequently in many other countries and on other continents. My ministry is marked above all by preaching through retreats and large evangelization events, the encounter with the Muslim world and the accompaniment of converts.

Strive to seize Him who has seized you (cf. Phil 3 :12-14). “Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit ; he whom you serve is the Lord » (cf. Rom 12 :11).

Br. Pierre-Marie