Ecumenism will not save the Church. A salutary tale from France
Saint-Brieuc: A deconsecrated church put up for sale
The Diocese of Saint-Brieuc and Tréguier has put up for sale a church built in 1908-1910 and deconsecrated in 2023, Sainte-Anne de Robien, for €315,700. The church, where many ecumenical ceremonies were held in the 1990s and 2000s, has not been used since 2018.
As Ar Gedour indicates, citing the advertisement, "this building, built at the beginning of the 20th century in a Gothic style, offers a surface area of 692 m² on a plot of 786 m². It includes several outbuildings, housing various rooms and functional spaces, as well as a small wooded garden. The whole is offered at a price of €315,700." Inside, the volumes are impressive: the nave, transept, and choir flow into each other under a beautiful light filtered through geometric stained-glass windows, highlighting the warm hues of the wood and brick.
The parish's heritage has already been sold piecemeal: "the patronage hall was sold, the presbytery as well, and the Vaillante hall is no longer attached to the parish. Times have changed... For years, a team of volunteers continued to maintain the premises and welcome anyone who wished to organize Catholic ceremonies. In times of joy and sorrow, it was a way to maintain important ties in the neighborhood. In 2019, celebrations almost ceased at the Robien church. The bells stopped ringing. No more baptisms, weddings, or the occasional burial ceremony. And then nothing..."
According to Le Télégramme, the diocese, the most in decline of the five Breton dioceses, and which needs millions of euros to re-roof several of its churches, could deconsecrate and sell another church, at Légué, the port located below Saint-Brieuc; this is Notre-Dame de Bon Secours, also built after 1905.
Background- Decline and Fall
The Evolution of the Sainte-Anne de Robien Parish in Saint-Brieuc after 1945
After the war, Father Lemordan was very involved in the growth of the Robien parish following the significant expansion of the social works established by Father Le Prévost. The Robien parish was booming, and the population was increasing.
Transformations
The growing population and very regular religious practice in the Robien neighborhood made it difficult for the church to meet the overwhelming demand, for communions, for example. This led the ecclesiastical authorities to create the parish of St. Vincent, near the Croix St. Lambert.
For example, in 1953, the demand for baptisms was very high, with 86 performed that year. There were 37 deaths and 33 marriages.
In October 1955, the boundaries of the parish of Robien were revised to include the parishes of Saint-Pierre de Trégueux and Sainte-Thérèse de Gouédic.
In the 1960s, the church underwent renovations, but in 1997 the time came to upgrade the electrical system. This was a good opportunity to also redo the interior painting. All of this structural work was outsourced to local companies, and volunteers took care of the finishing touches and cleaning. The church was also equipped with an electronic organ in late 1996, which was smaller than the old one.
Also in the 1960s, Corpus Christi was no longer held in the church but in the Salle de la Vaillante before leaving in procession.
Priests Alexis Colin (vicar) and Jules Auffray (parish priest of Robien) succeeded each other. Jules Auffray had the distinction of having found a late vocation after working as a locksmith in civilian life. His talent in this field served the parish well.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Jean Campion, who followed in the footsteps of Father Auffray, recalls the Sunday celebrations in Robien and the highlights of Christmas, when the vigils were very open, family-oriented, and friendly. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, parish life evolved, with a greater emphasis on pastoral care by lay people. Bible discussions took place in Robien, with the much-appreciated presence of Georges Minois, a historian, professor at the Lycée Renan, and author of numerous books.
Also in the 1990s and 2000s, the Robien church was the site of many ecumenical ceremonies.
Today and tomorrow...
The patronage hall has been sold, as has the presbytery; the Vaillante hall is no longer attached to the parish. Times have changed... For years, a team of volunteers continued to maintain the premises and welcome anyone who wished to hold Catholic ceremonies. In times of joy and sorrow, it was a way to maintain important ties in the neighborhood.
In 2019, celebrations at Robien Church virtually ceased. The bells stopped ringing. No more baptisms, weddings, or the occasional funeral. And then nothing...
In 2022, a collective reflection began on the future of this church, with crucial questions: what innovative project could be that would revive this building—cultural, economic, housing, and parish life? Who could lead this project?
The question was finally resolved because such a building could not remain closed indefinitely...
.jpeg)
Comments