The Centre Teilhard de Chardin has opened its doors on the Saclay plateau, home to 30,000 students and over 12,000 teaching and research staff. From June 2 to 4, the three-day inauguration was an opportunity to invite all those for whom the Centre Teilhard Chardin is intended: students, professors and researchers, people living in the surrounding area, donors and the curious.
Father Provincial François Boëdec emphasized how "the Centre Teilhard de Chardin is deeply in line with the apostolic intuitions of the Society of Jesus: a presence among students, teachers and researchers, not in a disembodied way, or on the simple model of a chaplaincy, but articulated in different ways to the realities and questions that concern our contemporaries, particularly with regard to science and technology. A place called to be a place of life, crossroads, exchanges and celebrations".
The Archbishop of Paris, Mgr Laurent Ulrich, referred particularly to the contribution of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who "was not afraid to pass on this sparkling knowledge by building a bridge between the shores of faith and science, of Christian revelation and matter, without denying anything of each of these fields." For his part, Mgr Michel Pansard, Bishop of Évry, went back over the stages of the project, citing the various players involved in bringing the Centre to fruition. "A place where the scientific and technical world can meet and dialogue with spirituality. A place to help the actors of this world, these men and women inhabited by questions of meaning...".
Finally, Jean-Marie Duthilleul, the Centre's architect, presented the features of the 1,600 m2, 4-storey building, designed with environmentally friendly materials. In particular, he wanted a conical chapel, with no corners, all round, symbolizing the infinite goodness of Christ.
Following these speeches, the Centre's Scientific Committee led the inaugural conference on the theme of "What kind of Enlightenment for Today? Can we advance the idea of progress? More than 300 people attended the open day on Saturday June 3, which included a tour of the premises, workshops and an exhibition on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
A mass to consecrate the Notre-Dame de la Sagesse (Our Lady of Wisdom) chapel was celebrated on June 4, after which the Provincial sent four Jesuit companions on mission to students at schools on the Saclay plateau.
Watch the various speeches and the replay of the opening conference: LINK
Jésuites EOF
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