Protestant Church in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon served by Pastors Andre Trocme and Edouard Theis during World War 2.
I can’t say when I first heard of Pastor André Trocmé or the protestant village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, but I’ve always been drawn to people of high moral integrity. So when I heard the story of a village in France that harbored Jewish refugees during WW2 at great risk, I was captivated by it. When I began planning my sabbatical, Le Chambon emerged as one place I wanted to see firsthand. I wanted my family to get as close as possible to this story and the people and principles behind it.
The words above the door read:
“Love one another.”
At first, I had limited luck in my internet searches for information about whether a museum dedicated to the heroic efforts of the people there existed. I could only find references to a temporary museum that once existed, or to the dream that a museum might one day be built.
But then I found an article by Dr. Patrick Henry, a retired professor from Whitman College. His article gave a brief but thorough explanation of the historical context in which this “conspiracy of goodness” took place. As time before our departure for sabbatical was running short, I tracked down his email address and wrote to him, hoping he might respond. Not only did he write back almost immediately, sharing information that proved immensely helpful as I prepared for our visit to Le Chambon, unbeknownst to me he blind copied Nelle Trocmé Hewitt, the daughter of Pastor André and Magda Trocmé. Within a few hours of my initial inquiry I found myself corresponding with a woman who not only knew of Le Chambon, she had been at the epicenter of these events as both a witness and participant! Nelly provided me with information about the newly opened state-of-the-art museum in Le Chambon, Lieu de Mémoire, as well as the names of contacts she knew. And she urged me to see Pierre Sauvage’s film Weapons of the Spirit, before I left town—which I did. The entire series of exchanges was a Spirit-inspired gold mine!
After our sabbatical, I got in touch with Dr. Henry once more to report on our experience in Le Chambon, and invited him to come to Peace, which he did on May 3rd, bringing his spouse Mary Anne O’Neil.
We hosted Pat and Mary Anne at our home, and had a wonderful time sharing stories and experiences both about Le Chambon as well as as other places.
Dr. Henry address members of Peace
On Sunday morning Dr. Henry addressed both our adults and youth during Education Hour, and then following worship he addressed a crowd of folk who came to also see the new 2015 prototype of the film Weapons of the Spirit. Pat’s dedication to this subject of the Holocaust, with particular attention to the rescuers and resisters, kept us fully engaged.
For one who came to the study of the Holocaust late in his career, Dr. Henry has entered it with particular zeal. He is the author of two books: We Only Know Men: The Rescue of Jews in France during the Holocaust. (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2007) and Jewish Resistance Against the Nazis (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2014).
The Kindem family with Pat Henry and Mary Anne O’Neil
Little did we know that our sojourn to Le Chambon would continue to open the doors to new relationships once we returned home!
This is another example of how our sabbatical journey continues to bear fruit in our lives and in the life of our congregation. We have every hope that this will continue to be the case as the months and years unfold.