The short name Saint-Eugène is another name for the church. This wonderful neighborhood is situated in the historic district of the former traditional Jewish Quarter in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Parishioners travel from all over Paris and beyond to attend this church. A few notable vocations to the priesthood and religious life have also resulted. It is the home of the EF in the Archdiocese of Paris, so Catholics visiting Paris should be aware of it and go there. On Sundays, the church is crowded with young families, with many kids attracted by the reverence and devotion displayed by the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
When Saint-Eugène was constructed, the French Church was undergoing a renewal due to the anti-religious revolutionary eras. In the middle of the 1800s, the local Church underwent a renewal that resulted in a boom in Catholic life and church building due to those years of persecution. Years of struggle and persecution helped the Catholic Church flourish, leading to the founding of new religious orders, new vocations to the seminary and convent, the growth of Marian devotion (related to the apparitions at Lourdes in 1858), and the successful establishment of Catholic social movements.
Then, the Church started to grow all over. Neo-Gothic churches were designed and built throughout the country due to the rediscovery of the Gothic art created in France during the Middle Ages. France entered a golden age of architectural pastiche, imitating earlier styles like the Gothic, as architects and artists looked to the past for inspiration.
No time in French history offers us as many works of religious art produced simultaneously by eminent artists (Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 861). The church's interior is stunning, with a vibrant, spacious setting. When the sanctuary faces north, the lovely afternoon sun enters, giving it a holy feel. Iron piers and moldings painted in various colors to match the glow of the stained glass windows blend harmoniously with the display of vivid stained glass windows. Blues, reds, and greens create a dark interior with fanciful vaulted ceilings. The church's ceiling is exquisitely stenciled with stars in the Neo-Gothic style, bright yellow in the nave, and midnight blue in the apses. The eye is drawn to the entire church volume from the entrance.
Because they are depicted in stained glass, a sporadic creation by Eugène-Stanislas Oudinot, the distinctive Stations of the Cross on the main level are famous. Because they are the only known instance of the Via Crucis rendered entirely in stained glass, these windows are unquestionably noteworthy. The pulpit, made of carved wood and has a lovely canopy, is an amazing work of art.
One of the best church choirs in the Catholic world is this one. It is led by the esteemed maestro Henri Adam de Villers, a Sorbonne alumnus, and a highly skilled musical director. The choir is complemented by the church's magnificent pipe organ, which German organ builder Joseph Merklin created while he was a resident of Paris. Before it was put in the church, the same organ was displayed at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. It has 1,941 pipes, 33 stops, three keyboards with 56 notes each, and a pedal board with 27 notes.
Duration RequiredPlace Sainte-Eugenie, 64200, Biarritz, France
4.5
