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Lauranne Goyer
Published on
Dec 21 2024 at 5:20 p.m.
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“In the 35 years that I have lived in Quimper, I have always experienced this.” According to Cyrille Squividant, a volunteer twice a week for five years at the reception of Saint-Corentin Cathedral in Quimper (Finistère), this basket is a real tradition for visitors. Every day, he sees people coming to drop off food or pick it up.
Designed around Catholic traditions, this donation basket especially helps the most deprived. It is located at the back of the cathedral, to the right, at the foot of the statue Santig Du.
Jean Discalceat alias Santig Du, serving the poor
Jean Discalceat is better known under the name Santig Du, meaning “little black saint”. Born to a poor family in the 13th century in Saint-Vougay (Finistère), he strove to live humbly throughout his life. He was ordained a priest in Rennes in 1303. And for thirteen years, he decided to deliberately live in poverty, walking barefoot.
Then he arrived in Quimper when he joined the Franciscans, members of the order of Friars Minor, a Catholic religious order. He spent his time visiting lepers, practicing fasting and almsgiving and during the plague epidemic which devastated Europe, he devoted himself to the dying… Tradition has it that one places his relics in front of his bread or food for the poor.
Cyrille Squividant, volunteer at the cathedral, answered our questions.
What can we give?
You can put bread in it, as tradition dictates, but not only that. It is possible to put pastries, hygiene products such as soap or toothpaste or cans of sardines. And with Christmas, people even put out high-end chocolate.
Who can help?
Anyone in need can help themselves. We're not going to come and check. In general, people respect the principle. Those who use it are mainly homeless people.
But there is also an audience that we don't think of like isolated audiences. Elderly people, for example. We respect everyone's discretion and modesty, so as not to cause any embarrassment.
How many beneficiaries use each day?
Every day, around five people come to make donations and the equivalent comes to help themselves. It is a process of exchange and sharing, which works well. Some days the same person gives multiple times. We notice a consistency in the level of donations. But the days when there are the most are generally Saturdays.
What are the times for giving?
Anyone can donate and help themselves at any time during opening hours, namely from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. then from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays. .
Saint-Corentin Cathedral, in Quimper.
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