Who am I?
Luc, your host
It took me twenty years to finish this project. I had planned two.
So enjoy it. Really. If you could be happy in every room, that would suit me fine.
My marketing strategy now relies on a miracle. If you witness one during your stay, take a photo and let me know.
Please don’t tell the Vatican before me: I’d like a few bookings before it becomes a church again.
To those who find this project climbs the wall
I understand that a former church turned into a guesthouse can come as a surprise. Even I, when I look at the bills, wonder whether all this is reasonable.
But this church was abandoned. I did not turn up in the middle of mass with a bathtub and a card reader.
And rest assured: the village of Dompierre-Becquincourt still has its church, where mass is still celebrated. And the money I paid to buy this one helped develop the village.
I bought it to save it. Then I devoted my money, my holidays and twenty years of my life to it. For those who suspect a particularly clever financial operation, let me point out that my bank adviser never used the word “genius”. Mostly, he asked to see me sitting down.
If my aim had simply been to make money, I would have looked into a treehouse or a bubble in a garden. I chose a church. Even my donkey would have asked for a forecast.
Yes, stays will be paid. Because the craftsmen, despite the religious nature of the building, insist on being paid in euros. I tried eternal gratitude: apparently, it does not cover social contributions.
Renting this place gives it the means to keep living, to be heated, maintained and handed on. Churches have survived the centuries; some have also changed use. This one keeps its history and welcomes a new life.
I respect that people are attached to its original purpose. I would simply like a little consideration for the person who spent twenty years preventing it from disappearing.
As for what God thinks of all this, I would take care not to speak in his place.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. God is everywhere. I do not see why he would necessarily be absent when someone puts his church back on its feet.