The Olympic Village is an “extraordinary place”, says the head of the Holy Games

PARIS (OSV News) — If one were to look for the busiest woman in the French Church these days, it would most likely be Isabelle de Chatellus, 46, of the diocese of Versailles.

She is the director of the “Holy Games”, the French Catholic Church’s initiative for the Olympic Games, and coordinates teams of volunteers who can be recognized by their yellow T-shirts with the “Holy Games” logo.

“I’ve just come from the Olympic Village in Saint-Denis,” Chatellus told OSV News. “It’s a very special place, particularly peaceful. It’s a village where all of humanity seems to come together. There are flags of the countries represented hanging on every window! It’s beautiful.”

She said that at a multi-faith center on the outskirts of the village, “at first there weren’t very many people,” Chatellus said. “But little by little the athletes are making the place their own and getting to know it better. They start coming and going, and little by little they learn when the prayer times are.”

Isabelle de Chatellus, 46, of the Diocese of Versailles in France, is seen in an undated photo. She is the director of Holy Games, the French Catholic Church’s Olympic initiative. She coordinates teams of volunteers, identified by their yellow T-shirts with the Holy Games logo, who help athletes with their spiritual needs. (OSV News photo/Courtesy of Holy Games)

For the Catholics participating in the Olympic Games, Chatellus suggested that the athletes “go to mass in the nearby church. A mass is celebrated for them there every evening. They come there to discreetly recharge their batteries in complete privacy. It is very beautiful to see them in this way.”

She was commenting on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26, which featured a drag queen performance parodying Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper, causing division and drawing criticism from Catholics and other religions around the world. Chatellis said that this had “unsettled Christians around the world” and that the Sacred Games Committee had “received many messages from hurt people who are deeply saddened by certain passages of the ceremony”.

However, she also mentioned that they had “had a lot of dialogue with members of the International Olympic Committee afterward” and admitted that “it was a bit tricky.”

Chatellus explained that after the ceremony, we really wanted to start a new chapter and focus on welcoming the athletes and delegations.

Young people in particular who volunteer for the Holy Games experience the spiritual richness of the project.

“They are organized in small groups and have time in the morning for resource sharing and training to deepen the meaning of Christian virtues,” she said.

For them, the highlight of the week is the veneration of the Crown of Thorns, which takes place on Fridays in the church of Saint Germain l’Auxerrois near the Louvre.

The Crown of Thorns is in the shape of a circle with a diameter of 21 cm. It is the most precious relic in the treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral. It was rescued from the flames on the evening of the cathedral’s fire on April 15, 2019 by the chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, Father Jean-Marc Fournier, and is waiting in Saint Germain l’Auxerrois until it is returned to Notre Dame after the cathedral’s reopening on December 8.

“This is a great opportunity,” stressed Chatellus. “Normally, this devotion is only offered on Fridays during Lent. It helps to reflect on the laurel wreath of athletes and reminds us of the hope that Christ’s crown of thorns represents for Christians.”

The laurel wreath has been a symbol of victory, success and glory since the first Olympic Games in Greece.

Young people are particularly active in the church of La Madeleine or St. Mary Magdalene, which is located 150 meters from the Concorde Olympic site. A temporary stadium for skateboarding, BMX freestyle and 3×3 basketball has been built there.

“The Concorde metro station is closed, so everyone comes through the Madeleine station,” said Chatellus. “That’s why there are a lot of people around the church and many of them go inside.”

In the symbolic church where the Olympic truce came into force on July 19 in the presence of over 100 diplomatic delegations, young volunteers invite visitors and believers to leave their prayers in the “athletes’ chapel” or light a candle to pray for peace. Mass and confession are offered in various languages. Every evening there is a music festival, alternating between classical music, pop worship, gospel and Christian rock.

Another Holy Games venue that mobilizes young people is located near another Parisian square, the Place de la Nation. There, in the buildings of the Eugène Napoléon Foundation, every other day young people welcome local children for sports activities and every other day meals are served to about 50 people in need.

“This service makes the young people very happy,” said Chatellus. “They say that the atmosphere and its program remind them of World Youth Day, with its gatherings and moments of prayer. But many say it is even better because of this dimension of service.”

Meanwhile, the Holy Games website continues to accept pledges from people who sign up to support the athletes with their prayers. A special invitation is being extended to pray for the 37 athletes on the Refugee Olympic Team. They come from 11 different countries.

Chatellus, for her part, is enjoying the Olympics as an athlete. “I love sports,” she said. “I love all sports! I play a lot of tennis and also soccer.”

“It is obvious that faith and sport are two worlds that are very close,” Chatellus told OSV News.

“In sport, we go beyond ourselves. And by going beyond ourselves, we experience transcendence, that is, we encounter God.”