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150 Churches in Paris and elsewhere

Being a leading world expert in ... something else entirely (really), I started this blog to accompany my walking round Paris visiting churches (occasional guest appearances from synagogues mosques etc), walks initially decided just because I need more exercise. Very little technical vocab, but some good views. Many of the churches are in Paris, but many are churches I went to on my various trips. We are talking relaxed browsing round churches here, not comprehensive analysis.

16 Eglise Toussaints Rennes

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- juin 18, 2022

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50. Montreal, Basilica of Notre Dame. Coolest Gothic revival pulpit

- février 27, 2023

Montreal, Basilica of Notre Dame. Coolest Gothic revival pulpit The wikipedia article says that the interior of the church is « one of the most dramatic in the world », and dead Gothic. Gets eleven million visitors a year, and last year I was one of them. My favourite ever pulpit. If you’re gonna preach Good News About Eternal Life, you might as well do it perched on some decent furniture. The stained glass windows here don’t bother with Bible stories, but depict scenes from the history of Montreal. The other major highlight is the extra chapel behind the altar through a corridor, which is has a modern bronze altar piece which is totally stunning. It represents humanity’s journey towards God, passing through childhood, adulthood and old age. In this chapel, the Stations of the Cross are well worth a look. Information in French Information in English Information in Armenian

150 Paris 11th arrondissement : Saint Ambroise – dinky stations of the cross

- juillet 05, 2025

Built in honour of Saint Ambrose of Milan, fourth century bishop and one of the four great Latin church fathers, who put innovative chanting into churches, and who wrote some hymns which are still regularly used today. The church was consecrated in 1910 (a previous church on the site had been opened in 1818). Its impressive set of towers is now easier to appreciate since they opened the garden opposite. The entrance porch includes allegorical figures representing theology and eloquence. The church contains dinky stations of the cross, mosaics of a series of saints, and a fine altar canopy, The noticeboard explains how you can learn sewing on Thursday nights.

123 Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Normandy : Our Lady of the Holy Parachutes

- janvier 05, 2025

I visit a lot of churches and see a lot of modern art in them, but the stained glass windows of Our Lady with parachutists landing in the background were definitely a first. But perhaps you remember the name of the village Sainte-Mère-Eglise, from the film with John Wayne. Yes, this was the village chosen for the parachute squads to drop in, a few hours before the Normandy landings (because it was in the right place). This is the church whose spire one of the paratroopers got his parachute hooked on. The Germans took him prisoner, and he survived. To this day there is a model of him hanging on to the spire by parachute (You can just see in one of the photos). Apart from the stained glass, there is a fine rood cross (that is to say one high above the altar, in the air), and and admirably chunky lectern. When I was there there was a collection of children’s drawings displayed, on the theme of peace. The church was started in the 12th century, and is actually called Our lady of ...

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Posts les plus consultés de ce blog

50. Montreal, Basilica of Notre Dame. Coolest Gothic revival pulpit

- février 27, 2023

Montreal, Basilica of Notre Dame. Coolest Gothic revival pulpit The wikipedia article says that the interior of the church is « one of the most dramatic in the world », and dead Gothic. Gets eleven million visitors a year, and last year I was one of them. My favourite ever pulpit. If you’re gonna preach Good News About Eternal Life, you might as well do it perched on some decent furniture. The stained glass windows here don’t bother with Bible stories, but depict scenes from the history of Montreal. The other major highlight is the extra chapel behind the altar through a corridor, which is has a modern bronze altar piece which is totally stunning. It represents humanity’s journey towards God, passing through childhood, adulthood and old age. In this chapel, the Stations of the Cross are well worth a look. Information in French Information in English Information in Armenian

150 Paris 11th arrondissement : Saint Ambroise – dinky stations of the cross

- juillet 05, 2025

Built in honour of Saint Ambrose of Milan, fourth century bishop and one of the four great Latin church fathers, who put innovative chanting into churches, and who wrote some hymns which are still regularly used today. The church was consecrated in 1910 (a previous church on the site had been opened in 1818). Its impressive set of towers is now easier to appreciate since they opened the garden opposite. The entrance porch includes allegorical figures representing theology and eloquence. The church contains dinky stations of the cross, mosaics of a series of saints, and a fine altar canopy, The noticeboard explains how you can learn sewing on Thursday nights.

123 Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Normandy : Our Lady of the Holy Parachutes

- janvier 05, 2025

I visit a lot of churches and see a lot of modern art in them, but the stained glass windows of Our Lady with parachutists landing in the background were definitely a first. But perhaps you remember the name of the village Sainte-Mère-Eglise, from the film with John Wayne. Yes, this was the village chosen for the parachute squads to drop in, a few hours before the Normandy landings (because it was in the right place). This is the church whose spire one of the paratroopers got his parachute hooked on. The Germans took him prisoner, and he survived. To this day there is a model of him hanging on to the spire by parachute (You can just see in one of the photos). Apart from the stained glass, there is a fine rood cross (that is to say one high above the altar, in the air), and and admirably chunky lectern. When I was there there was a collection of children’s drawings displayed, on the theme of peace. The church was started in the 12th century, and is actually called Our lady of ...

119 Hastings, UK – St Mary, Star of the Sea : I recognize that lamb

- décembre 11, 2024

119 Hastings, UK – St Mary, Star of the Sea : I recognize that lamb This is the local parish church (built in 1882) I visited with my friend Franco, when I came down to see him in Hastings after we had not seen each other for 30 years (the wonders of Facebook !). Highlight was the lamb pictured here which was made many years ago by Franco’s children. Intricate dark-wood stations of the cross, and a painting of the sea at Hastings with some saint or other I think. According to wikipedia « “Star of the Sea” as a title has been in use since at least the early medieval period. Purportedly arising from a scribal error in a supposed etymology of the name Mary , it came to be seen as allegorical of Mary's role as "guiding star" on the way to Christ. Under this name, the Virgin Mary is believed to intercede as a guide and protector of seafarers in particular. Many coastal churches are named Stella Maris or Star of the Sea. «In ...

72 London - Saint Paul's Cathedral: Cool people commemorated, but bloody Empire heroes too.

- septembre 24, 2023

Saint Paul’s Cathedral London. I seem to be visiting churches a lot faster than I am finding the time to write them up; I have a real backlog. Anyway it was great to visit Saint Paul’s cathedral, one of the four cathedrals in London if I remember correctly (two for the protestants two for the catholics - but I am probably missing some orthodox cathedral). It was Christopher Wren who was the architect, and it was built as the first Anglican cathedral on the site - previously they had just recycled Catholic hand-me-downs. His advisors, and the committees, wanted him to be sure to make it not too Catholic. So, no stained glass, and no statues, monuments etc. However, in later centuries, once they got less scared of us Catholics, the statues and monuments came by the dozens - and indeed the 20th century high altar looks like it was looted from the Vatican itself. Lots of people got monuments, mainly heroes of the bloody British Empire, like Wellington. He has the biggest monume...

152 Bastia, Corsica, Church of the Immaculate Conception – most protestants ain’t having it.

- juillet 17, 2025

This chapel in Bastia, Corsica, is named for the Immaculate Conception. Not to be confused with the virgin birth, the immaculate conception is the idea that the mother of Jesus, since she was to give birth to God, had to be one hell of a lot more virtuous than the rest of us, and so must have been born, unlike every other bugger, without the stain of original sin, inherited from Adam and Eve. This idea was debated for a thousand years or more before being officially approved and validtaed by the Pope in the mid nineteenth century. Most protestants ain’t having it. The church, built in the sixteenth century, has a great pulpit with hidden staircase, and a lovely gilded baroque ceiling. On the notice board is an advert for the Immaculate Conception gang (or confrerie), which was founded in 1590.

142 Chapel at US cemetery at Suresnes in the Paris suburbs

- juin 04, 2025

This chapel is in the US cemetery at Suresnes in the Paris suburbs. The cemetery contains the remains of 1541 US soldiers from the First World War, and 24 unidentified soldiers from the Second. I know that in the First World War, British families were not allowed to repatriate to the UK the bodies of their dead sons (the government feared the effect on civilian morale and/or protests about the richer families being privileged because they had the money to do this). I don’t know if repatriation to the US was banned, but it would have been expensive and certainly was not habitual. Apparently, earlier in the war, dead French soldiers were buried in mass graves, as had been the case in previous wars. Public opinion demanded a change and from 1915, soldiers had individual graves. The cemetery was inaugurated in pomp by US President Wilson in 1919. There are mosaic fresques on grand themes, and there is also a memorial to those lost at sea in the First War. The visitor’s book has its rules w...

148 Créteil in the Paris suburbs : Cathedral Our Lady of Créteil

- juin 27, 2025

Créteil is a suburb of Paris I used to work in, with too many motorways in it, though there is a quiet bit by the water. This twenty-first century cathedral (opened in 2015) has an elegant modernist altar table, baptismal font and furniture, and imaginative statues and crucifixes, along with circularish benches. It also has a lovely belltower. The huge wooden structure inside is meant to symbolize two hands joined in prayer. The noticeboard announces meetings between Christians and Buddhists (Resilient in Hope), and a seminar on understanding the war in Ukraine, as well as monthly poetry meetings where you can read your own poems to the group.