200 Churches in Paris and elsewhere

  Anglican church with a full-on olde worlde outside and a dead hip inside, this church is dedicated to St Nicholas, fourth century Greek bishop. He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students. There is a beautiful brick tower looking like it came straight from the pages of Thomas Hardy, featuring a clock inscribed with the words “It is time to seek the Lord”. Inside simple modern furnishings and 21 st century signage, and notices introducing Steve and Fran, the religious leaders here, as well as St Nic’s kids, St Nic’s amor y esperanza etc. Church objectives : Love God, Make disciples, seek the Kingdom, heal the city, so they have a packed programme. On this site there was an older church which served as a royalist stronghold during the English civil war. The new church was completed towards the end of the seventeenth century. The church also serves the local   Chinese ...

158 Paris, 16th arrondissement :  Notre Dame de Grace de Passy Church quoted in a poem by Alfred de Musset (It was, in the dark night/ On the yellowed bell tower /The moon/ Like a dot on an i). It is a 17th to 19th century building, just up the road     from Balzac ‘s house. There are several notable paintings inside: the Crowning with Thorns by Giordano (17th century Baroque bloke), a copy of Saint Paul carried off by angels, by Poussin (First Painter to the King under Louis XIII) Above the altar you have a key scene storyboard of the redemption saga, starting with Adam and Eve getting chucked out of an elite club, and then going onto the moment when that Angel comes and visits Mary to give her some surprising news.   Also, stations of the cross carved into the stone walls, and pretty lectern.

  The full name of the church is Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation et Saint-Sigisbert de Nancy. You’ve probably heard of Our Lady, but perhaps not of Saint Sigisbert (or in English Sigebert. He was a seventh century king of Austrasia (not Australia), and was known as the first of the “do nothing” kings. This may seem ungenerous, but he was only three when he became king. This is an 18 th century building, inspired by some church in Rome. It’s star features are a fine wooden pulpit and a well-known crucifix by Ligier Richier, a sixteenth century sculptor from the region, who, in 1988, had a postage stamp printed in his honour.