Communion is heard in the adjacent church. “There, it’s a rush”Catherine Audigier prepares by carefully organizing her attendance tables. It is 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, December 24, and for a few minutes she has been welcoming the guests of the solidarity New Year's Eve party that the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-la-Salle parish, in the 15th arrondissement in Paris, is organizing. A handful of guests arrived early, sometimes thanks to volunteer carpooling, but the end of the mass marks the start of the evening.
One by one, Catherine and her daughter Claire count the thirty guests and check in on the regulars. Some are known and have been coming for several years, others are here for the first time. The habit of this fraternal New Year's Eve is gauged by the size of the smile: for the newcomers, a certain apprehension can be felt.
“The criterion for coming is isolationexplains Pierre Audigier, who supports his wife in the organization. We are relaunching guests from the previous year, and others are joining us via relay associations. » Our village, an association helping people in the neighborhood, therefore suggests names, just like Hiver solidaire, a program of the diocese of Paris. According to an Ifop survey, 16% of French people spend Christmas Eve alone.
Exchanges that are difficult to initiate
In the John Paul II room, the aperitif began, after the blessing of Father Patrick O'Mahony. Champagne and foie gras toasts circulate, made possible by a €2,500 endowment from the Notre-Dame Foundation. A few discussions began, but it was still difficult to break the ice. Focused on beef bourguignon, Éliane, 73, is not talkative, without seeming to be having a bad time. “The meat is good”she says to her neighbor Kévin, a New Year's Eve friend.
At this table, Élisabeth plays the role of hostess. A retired nurse, she tries to start a few topics of conversation, but it's not easy to talk. It takes a catalyst to make this happen. For this group, his name is Eddy. Leaning on his crutch, the forty-year-old joins the table a little late. The high verb and the chatter of those “who have seen them in life” as he says, pierce the silence. “This place is really great. he congratulates. I hesitated until the last moment to come but I don't regret it. » He was initially simply registered to receive a package – forty were distributed in the afternoon by the parishioners.
His smile is transmitted to his two neighbors. “I like the atmosphere we find hereinsists Éliane. And at least I see people for Christmas. » The exchanges then begin, in all directions, more or less intimate. Kévin discovers that Eddy lives in a residence next to his. Élisabeth talks about the Hôtel-Dieu where she worked and where Kévin was treated for meningitis. Éliane confides the pain of no longer having her mother.
Without discussing their loneliness, everyone slips into conversation that they have no loved ones in Paris or that family relationships are complicated. As a matter of fact, their presence here allows them not to address their isolation and to take advantage of the interlude that the evening offers.
“Out of the last twenty Christmases, I must have had three good ones”
A guitar sounds. With a knowing look, Kévin alerts his comrades: Guy Ouvrard, an old hand at Parisian balls, knows how to do it. Anthology of French song, the artist plays on command: Sardou, Adamo and especially Graeme Allwright. The request comes from Eddy who promises to know the New Zealander's repertoire by heart. “If he wants, I’ll join him on the microphone, I’m not afraid”he gets carried away. Élisabeth takes him at his word and challenges him. A microphone arrives, bet paid.
Still a little overcome by stress, Eddy sits down again and does the counting. “Out of the last twenty Christmases, I must have had three good ones… But this one is by far the best! » Not far away, Gilles, a parish volunteer, in turn congratulates Eddy. “I will call you at the beginning of January so that we can see each other again”he says. New Year's Eve is also an opportunity to build a bond for the rest of the year.
Warmth and comfort
For Pierre, a Senegalese in France since 2017, the repertoire of French variety is less obvious. “At least I discovered”he laughs. It's his second New Year's Eve here. He does have a few friends he met in Paris, but the parish evening is precious to him. “It brings a lot of warmth and comfort, it makes you feel less alone”he rejoices, stacking the chairs.
“These kinds of events carry the purest message of Christmas, a time of love and joy for everyone, even the most isolated”confides Father Jean-Claude Nzayisenga, who takes the time to talk with those who wish. In the kitchen, the volunteers tidy up. Catherine doesn't seem entirely happy with the organization. This evening, three people arrived unexpectedly. It's not ideal to do well, but there's no question of sending someone home alone. The other volunteers reassure her, nothing was felt at the table.
