Mohamed rolls up his prayer mat, puts it in his satchel and sits down at the large table, which is already set for dinner. "That was the second-to-last prayer of the day", he says, smiling. It's 8 pm. “In two hours, I will get out the mat again for the Isha prayer [the night-time daily prayer]".

Above Mohamed’s head, there’s a crucifix on the wall, decorated with several palm fronds - vestiges of Palm Sunday celebrations several days prior, marking the week leading up to Easter for Christians.  

It’s quite the religious mash-up but Mohamed is getting used to it. He’s one of eight asylum seekers currently being housed in the rectory of Saint-Bernard Church, located in northern Paris.

"I’ve been sleeping here for two months,” he says, timidly. He shows us a few camping beds, folded up and placed against the wall in this room that measures about 20 square meters.  

"We feel good here,” he says. "The priests and the congregants are really nice. They make sure that we don’t want for anything."

Saint-Bernard Church has opened its doors to Mohamed and his roommates as part of the "Hiver solidaire" programme ("Winter in Solidarity"), launched by the Paris diocese in 2008. For the past ten years, this programme has been encouraging the capital’s parishes to open their doors to undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers or refugees during the winter months between November and March.

"Our welcome is unconditional, we open our doors to anyone who is sleeping rough, whether they are French or foreign,” says Armelle Herouard, one of the press officers for the Paris diocese.

There are around one hundred parishes in Paris. 27 are participating in the programme. In total, they shelter 160 people. 

"Our Lady of the Undocumented Immigrants": a long history of hospitality

About 20 years ago, Saint-Bernard Church, known as “Our Lady of the Undocumented Immigrants” made headlines when it sheltered more than 300 undocumented migrants. The church housed these families for two months before they were finally ousted by security forces. The expulsion of these migrants sparked a wave of shock and anger across France.

"Since then, we haven’t changed our politics. We are still there to help vulnerable people,” says Father William. The church rectory can house eight people at most. "If we could house 50, we’d do it,” Father William says. "But we don’t have the space. We offer the little that we have". In 2008,  Saint-Bernard Church set up a dormitory in 2008 for the needy in a room in its rectory - just two steps from the church.

Right now, the rectory is at full capacity. All the people living there are asylum seekers. Most are young. They are from different countries, including Afghanistan, Guinea, Senegal, Sudan, Algeria, Gambia and Eritrea. The dining room, which is also a dormitory, is a communal space. There’s no surveillance at night.

“Due to the crowded living conditions and the lack of privacy, we can’t house women or minors,” the priest says.

The church doesn’t actually choose who stays. Instead, several different associations, such as France Terre d’asile or Secours catholique (Catholic Relief), suggest candidates depending on how many spaces are available in the different parishes.

"We don’t have any religious requirements,” says Father William. "We welcome everyone. We just ask our guests to respect our code of conduct, especially our rule banning drugs and alcohol on the premises."

"We find our humanity here"

On this evening, while waiting for dinner, Tariq, originally from Afghanistan, plays around on his cellphone. Djibril from Senegal takes care of making food in the little kitchen in an alcove off of the dining room. They won’t unfold their camp bed until later, around 10:30 or 11 pm.

The atmosphere is relaxed. Volunteers - usually either congregants or neighbors - are often here to spend time with the asylum seekers.

"We can be their alarm in the morning, remind them when they have appointments, but most of the time, we are there to keep them company, to eat with them,” says Joao, who has been helping out at Saint-Bernard for the past year.

"I think it is beautiful what we share here,” he says. “We find our humanity again.”

Every morning, guests need to leave the dining room by about 9 am.

"During the day, we use the room for the catechism and for union meetings for the building,” says Father William. "We tell our guests to come back around 7:30 pm.

During the day, Mohamed, a young man from Equatorial Guinea, says that he spends his time reading in Paris or in nearby St. Denis, where he has friends.

"I am just trying to keep busy until my appointment at the prefecture for my asylum claim,” he says.

Finding new lodging

By the time his appointment on April 9 comes around, Mohamed won’t be living in the rectory anymore. The Hiver solidaire program comes to an end April 1.  Mohamed’s face clouds when asked about the end to the programme. "I’m kind of afraid,” he says. “I don’t know where to go. What will I do until April 9th?" 

But how do you find a new place to stay? Reception centres are often full to capacity in Île-de-France, the region around Paris. In an effort to help them relax, the volunteers spend as much time as they can with them and organize game nights.

“It’s because of this atmosphere that, each night, I come back to the rectory when the doors open at 7:30 pm,” Mohamed says. “They are good. Like their church, like their God. It's not surprising. Ultimately, whether you are a Christian or Muslim, it’s the same God above our heads, right?

Practical information:

-        Saint-Bernard church organizes free breakfasts each Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 to 11, in the church courtyard. Rue Saint-Luc, metro Barbès (line 4) or La Chapelle (line 2)

-         Each Saturday and Sunday, volunteers hand out warm clothing starting at 8:30am.