In Paris, participation reached a new record, with between 40,000 and 50,000 participants. There were also marches in Guadeloupe and French Guiana.
According to the organisers, in Paris alone, between 40,000 and 50,000 people took to the streets for the march. / [link]Marche Pour Jesus[/link]
On Saturday 24 May, the March for Jesus (Marche Pour Jesus, MPJ) took place in 13 towns in mainland France and overseas.
“Despite the diverse personalities and ecclesial backgrounds of the participants, they were all motivated by the same desire: to make Christ known to our nation”, Gilbert Léonian, president of the MPJ Île-de-France told French news site Info Chretienne.
For André Raoilison, president of the National Federation of the MPJ, “it is an immense joy. We could already feel a wave of hope spreading across France”.
“It is the confirmation that God is at work. There is a real movement of the Spirit across the country, touching all the churches. When God opens a door, no one can close it again”, he added in an interviw with French news website Evangeliques info.
[photo_footer] Photo: Marche Pour Jesus, MPJ [/photo_footer]
According to the organisers, in Paris alone, between 40,000 and 50,000 people took to the streets between the Trocadero and the Muette lawn, to “bear witness of their faith and proclaim the love of Christ”.
Those are record numbers compared to the 25,000 who gathered last year and the slightly more than 10,000 of 2022.
“It's the first time we have taken over the entire roadway and pavements at the same time, usually, we are limited to just one section, so this is a very encouraging figure”, explained Raoilison.
In the rest of France, the next most crowded march was Lyon, with between 6,000 and 8,000 people, followed by Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe's capital, with over 3,000 participants. Hundreds of believers participated in other towns such as Strasbourg, Pau, Nantes or Cannes.
[photo_footer] Photo: Marche Pour Jesus, MPJ [/photo_footer]
In Strasbourg, around 800 participants gathered near the European Parliament “in a joyful and festive atmosphere”, reported Christian Ruiz, local president of the March for Jesus.
According to Ruiz, “the two highlights were a prayer for Europe in German, English and French, and a prayer for the hot topics in France: the family, politics, the economy”.
Meanwhile, in Basse-Terre, “God was gracious and everything went well. The programme included prayers for families and against the high cost of living, a concert of praise and entertainment”, said Josias Opont, pastor and president of the MPJ Guadeloupe.
“We also collected food for the food banks and distributed meals to the homeles”, he added. The organisers hope to make the event a permanent fixture in Guadeloupe's capital calendar, alongside the carnival.
The next March for Jesus is scheduled for 6 June 2026, but “this can be adapted to suit local issues. Some towns may choose dates that are close to each other, such as 30 May, for example", said Raoilison.
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