The chaplaincies at Paris Orly and CDG airports have come through a number of changes this past year. Starting with the last one, Anniel Hatton, Protestant Chaplain at Orly retired on 30 June. She served 10 years as an airport chaplain,1st at CDG and then at Orly since October 2013. Her ministry was greatly appreciated by both passengers and staff. Previous to airport chaplaincy Anniel was a pastor in several Baptist churches in France together with her husband William. She also served as a hospital chaplain. Anniel was a pioneer in advocating and living women’s ministry in Baptist churches in France. Anniel has been succeeded at Orly by David Gonzalez, a reformed minister who enthusiastically joined the team as a full time chaplain on 1 July.
Orly has also seen changes amongst Roman Catholic chaplains this past year, some of you might remember Fr Dominique Rodde who welcomed us for our day in Orly during the Paris Conference in 2016. Last September, Fr Dominique was called back to parish ministry (together with other diocesan responsibilities he already had) and was replaced by 2 other priests, Fr Yves Chalvet de Recy and Fr Pierre Le Beller who complete the team of catholic chaplains together with Ms Elise Rubal and Sister Thérèse Dembélé. The multi-faith team in Orly also includes 3 Muslim chaplains, Hazem El Shafei, Nadir Mehidi and Ali Atamena and 2 Jewish chaplains, Haïm Korsia and Moché Lewin (who also serve as CDG Chaplains).
In CDG Fr Philippe Vanneste was called to another ministry in the diocese of Toulon in the south of France where he serves as a prison chaplain. He had served 10 years as a chaplain at CDG where he is still to be replaced.
In December last year a new Muslim chaplain joined the team at CDG, Hadj Khababa who is also a military chaplain. He had already served in Orly and CDG in 2009/2010. He is very enthusiastic about airport chaplaincy and completes the Muslim team together with Hazem. The multifaith team in CDG is also comprised of 2 Roman Catholic chaplains, Deacon Yves de Brunhoff and Ms Louisiane Rose, 2 Protestant chaplains, Pierre de Mareuil and Anne-Sophie Dentan-Verseils and our 2 rabbis Haïm Korsia and Moché Lewin.Three to five of the Paris chaplains hope to join the Melbourne Conference.
Thanks for keeping these colleagues and ex-colleagues in your prayers and particularly for Anne-Sophie Dentan-Verseils who is on medical leave after back surgery and hopes to resume her ministry at the end of the Summer season.
Rev Pierre de Mareuil
Paris CDG and Orly