St Francis Xavier Church (French: Église Saint-François-Xavier or Église Saint-François-Xavier-des-Missions-étrangères) is a parish Roman Catholic church in the 7th arrondissement of Paris dedicated to Francis Xavier, the patron saint of missions. Built in the late 19th century, It gave its name to the nearby Metro station Saint-François-Xavier. It contains the tomb of Madeleine Sophie Barat, a French saint of the Catholic Church and founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart, a worldwide religious institute of educators. It is also known for its collection of Italian Baroque and Mannerist paintings, including a work by Tintoretto.[1] The church was inscribed as an historic monument in 2018.
The church takes its name from Saint François Xavier (1506-1582), who was a professor in Paris when he met Ignace de Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order in 1553. Inspired by Loyola, he was ordained as priest, and became a foreign missionary, travelling to Italy, India and Japan, and died in Canton, China in 1552. He was canonized in 1552. He is the patron saint of missionaries, sailors and tourists.
In 1637, as part of the Counter-Reformation movement, a seminary to train missionaries was organised on the rue du Bac in Paris by Bishop Dubal, with the support of Pope Urban VIII. The chapel of the seminary was built between 1683 and 1689, with decoration by Jacques Stella, Nicolas Poussin and Simon Vouet.
A séminaire destiné à former des missionnaires à l’apostolat en pays lointains (seminary for foreign missions) had been set up on rue du Bac in 1637 by Monseigneur Duval, with an accord from pope Urban VIII, during the Counter Reformation. The seminary's oratory or chapel was built between 1683 and 1689, with interior decoration by notable artists, including Jacques Stella, Nicolas Poussin and Simon Vouet, During the French Revolution, when the parish church, Saint-Sulpice was closed down, the chapel secretly served as the parish church. In 1801 the chapel was attached to the church of Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, which became the church for the Faubourg Saint-Germain. In 1802 the new Foreign Missions" parish was officially separated from the parish of Saint Sulpice.
In 1842, the parish was renamed Saint Francis Xavier. However, the chapel soon became too cramped for the seminarians and parishioners to share and the parishioners began construction on a new church in 1861. It was part of a large project of Paris church construction launched by Emperor Louis Napoleon that accompanied the Emperor's other grand program, Haussmann's renovation of Paris.
The site chosen for the new church was selected to fit into an intersection of Haussmann's new boulevards. The Boulevard des Invalides and a new boulevard were designed to cross the and to meet the Seine level with the Pont du Carrousel. The new church was intended as the ending point of the new boulevard, Tthough the work was not entirely carried out as intended. The construction was begun under Abbé Jean-Louis Roquette, with architect Adrien Lusson in charge. It was halted for a time in 1861, then resumed by architect Joseph Uchard.[1]
Before the above-ground work began, Uchard saw that the structure of the church would be hindered by the design of the new boulevards. The proposed site was an elongated hexagon, long enough for the church but very narrow at the west front, with no room for a proper portal and towers. Uchard asked Haussman's city planners to alter the new street plan to allow a wider west front. which they did. The work resumed and on the exterior of the church was completed on 15 July 1874. The building was finished by Easter 1875, though the interior decor was still not complete. It was consecrated on 23 May 1894, the eve of Corpus Christi, in a ceremony presided over by François-Marie-Benjamin Richard, archbishop of Paris.[2]
Exterior
The exterior was modelled after the Italian basilicas of the Renaissance, with the modern advantage of an iron frame hidden by the stone walls, allowing less massive walls, more interior space, and larger windows. The triangular fronton is decorated with sculpture illustrating "Saint Francois-Xavier baptising inhabitants of India and Japan."[3]
south side of church
The west portal
west Fronton with sculpture of "Saint Francois-Xavier preaching in Japan and India" by Gabriel-Jules Thomas
The apse at the east end containing the Chapel of the Virgin
Interior
The nave is flanked by two lower aisles lined by chapels, separated from the nave by massive pillars with Corinthian capitals. The decor of the nave is largely Neo-classical in design, with while the adjoining Chapel of the Virgin, at the east end, is decorated in Renaissance style. The iron structure of the church, hidden by the stone walls, makes possible the larger windows and abundance of light.[3]
The interior is dominated by the massive theatrical arch over the choir and the altar, painted with a frieze by Romain Cazes (1808-1881), depicting "Two Angels supporting the Book of the Evangelists." The figures of the angels stand out from the floral background behind them, which is decorated with the symbols of the angels. The frieze was inspired by the ornamental designs of illuminated manuscripts. A second major decorative element is the wall above the altar, with a painting of Moses and the tablets of the Ten Commandments; accompanied by figures of an angel appearing in a burning bush, and a figure of Aaron, holding rods, instruments of Biblical punishment.[4]
Above these scenes a large painting entitled "Saint Francois-Xavier presents to Christ the peoples he has converted." The figure of Christ is modelled after Byzantine figures, and the figures painted below feature the colorful costumes of countries where Saint Fraocois-Xavier made converts; India, Japan and China. The interior of the cupola over the altar and the ceilings also have lavish paintings, depicting the twelve apostles, around a lamb.[3] The dome interior was painted in the Neo-Byzantine style by Charles Lemeire.[4]
The bronze altar piece is a modern work in the classical style by the sculptor Poussielegue-Rustand, installed in 1984.
The nave, facing the altar
The Choir and altar seen from the nave
Interior of the cupola, with paintings of the twelve Apostles
A chapel in the church displays the shrine and reliquary of Saint Madeleine-Sophie Barat, (1779-1865),the founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart dedicated to the religious education of young women. The first school was opened in 1801. aAs of 2015, the Society had 2600 members, most serving as teachers, particularly for girls, in forty-one countries. The reliquary contains her remains and other relics of her life. The shrine was transferred to the church in 2009, to be close to her Paris home, the site of the congregation (now the Rodin Museum), and one of her early schools, now the Lycée Victor-Duruy.[5]
Christ and Saint-Francis-Xavier, in the Neo-Byzantine style
The most famous work in the church is "The Last Supper" by Tintoretto (1518-1594 It depicts the moment that Christ reveals to the Disciples that Judas has betrayed him. The figure of Judas, in the foreground, holds behind him the purse of money he received for his betrayal. It was originally painted for the Scuola Dei Santissime in the Church of Sain Felice in Venice in 1559, and was brought to Paris in 1865 by Marie-Caroline of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Berry[2]
The chapels of the church are filled with works of art, dating from the Renaissance to the 20th century. The Chapel of Saint Louis displays a major work by the Baroque painter Luca Giordano, (1632-1705), "The Crucifixion of Saint Peter." Following the school of Caravagio and Ribera, the painting depicts the corpse of the Saint in dramatic fashion. in the night, head down, being removed from the cross.[6]
The chapels on the left aisle also contain notable works, including "The Apotheosis of Saint Gaetan of Thiene", by Claude Audran the Younger (1639-1684). His academic style resembles that of his close collaborator, Charles Le Brun. Audran was a classicist like Le Brun, but used warmer colors and lyrical arrangements which recalled the baroque art of Simon Vouet. Audran's works also decorate the grand stairway at the Palace of Versailles.[6]
Another important Baroque work found in the church is "The Virgin and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Genevieve", by Lubin Baugin (1612-1663), located in the Sacristy of Masses. This work shows the influence of Corregio. It originally hung over the altar in Notre Dame de Paris until the French Revolution.[6]
The main organ is located in the rear of nave, over the portal. It was built in 1878 by the firm of Fermis and Persil. It was modified in 1830, again in 1923, and then was entirely restored beginning in 1993. The restored organ was inaugurated in 1996.
The organ of the church is featured in "The Organ Rehearsal", a work by Henry Lerolle shown at the Paris Salon of 1885, then in 1887 at the first exhibit of impressionist art in the United States, at the Metropolitan Museum. It was purchased and donated to the Metropolitan Museum, where it is displayed today.[7][8]
Organists
The following have served as organist of Saint-François Xavier church since 1878:
Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is a Catholic church in the centre of Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement. It was constructed between 1656 and 1763. The facade was designed in the classical style by Charles Le Brun. It contains many notable art works from the 19th century, including a rare religious painting by Jean-Baptiste Corot.
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a church in Paris, France, on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the 5th arrondissement, near the Panthéon. It contains the shrine of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The church also contains the tombs of Blaise Pascal and Jean Racine. Jean-Paul Marat is buried in the church's cemetery.
The Church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois is a medieval Roman Catholic church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, directly across from the Louvre Palace. It was named for Saint Germanus of Auxerre, a medieval bishop of Auxerre, who became a papal envoy and met Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, on his journeys. Genevieve is reputed to have converted Queen Clotilde and her husband, French king Clovis I to Christianity at the tomb of Saint Germain in Auxerre.
Saint-Pierre de Montmartre is the second oldest surviving church in Paris, after the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres. It is one of the two main churches on Montmartre, the other being the more famous 19th-century Sacré-Cœur Basilica, just above it. Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, begun in 1133, was the church of the prestigious Montmartre Abbey, destroyed in the French Revolution.
The Église de la Sainte-Trinité is a Roman Catholic church located on the place d'Estienne d'Orves, at 3 rue de la Trinité, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It was built between 1861 and 1867 during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III, in the residential neighborhood of the Chaussée d'Antin. It is in the ornate Neo-Renaissance or Second Empire Style, with a highly visible 65-meter-tall belfry.
The Church of Saint-Merri or Église Saint-Merry) is a parish church in Paris, located near the Centre Pompidou along the rue Saint Martin, in the 4th arrondissement on the Rive Droite. It is dedicated to the 7th century abbot of Autun Abbey, Saint Mederic, who came to Paris on pilgrimage and later died there in the year 700. In 884 Mederic was declared patron saint of the Right Bank.
The Basilica of Saint Clotilde is a basilica church located on the Rue Las Cases, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It was constructed between 1846 and 1856, and is the first example of a church in Paris in the neo-Gothic style.
Saint-Louis en l'Île is a Roman Catholic parish church located at 19 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île on Île Saint-Louis in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was constructed between 1664 and 1725, and is dedicated to King Louis IX of France, or Saint Louis. The church was originally built in the French Baroque style of the 17th century, but much of the interior decoration was taken or destroyed in the French Revolution. The church was extensively restored and redecorated in the 19th century.
The Église Saint-Augustin de Paris is a Catholic church located at 46 boulevard Malesherbes in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The church was built between 1860 and 1871 by the Paris city chief architect Victor Baltard. It was the first church in Paris to combine a cast-iron frame, fully visible, with stone construction. It was designed to provide a prominent landmark at the junction of two new boulevards built during Haussmann's renovation of Paris under Napoleon III. The closest métro station is Saint-Augustin
The Church of Saint-Roch is a 17th–18th-century French Baroque and classical style church in Paris, dedicated to Saint Roch. It is located at 284 rue Saint-Honoré, in the 1st arrondissement. The current church was built between 1653 and 1740.
Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle, located at 25 Rue de la Lune, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris and is a Catholic parish church built between 1823 and 1830. It is built in the Neoclassical style, and is dedicated to Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle, referring to the Annunciation. The neighbourhood of Bonne-Nouvelle, the Boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle and the Bonne Nouvelle metro station are named after it. The church was registered as a national historical monument in 1983.
The Church of the Val-de-Grâce is a Roman Catholic church in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The church was built as part of a royal abbey by Anne of Austria, the Queen of France, to celebrate the birth of her son, Louis XIV in 1638. Construction began in 1645 under the direction of architect François Mansart and was completed in 1665 by Gabriel Le Duc. The abbey and church were turned into a hospital during the French Revolution and then became part of the Val-de-Grâce Hospital, which closed in 1979. The church is attached to the diocese of the French military and is open to visitors at specified hours. Its dome is a landmark in the skyline of Paris.
The Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs is a Catholic church in Paris' Third arrondissement. Early parts of the church, including the west front, built 1420–1480, are in the Flamboyant Gothic style, while later portions, including the south portal, mostly built 1576–86, are examples of French Renaissance architecture. It is notable particularly for its Renaissance carved sculpture, decoration and large collection of French Renaissance paintings in the interior.
The Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis is a church on rue Saint-Antoine in the Marais quarter of Paris. The present building was constructed from 1627 to '41 by the Jesuit architects Étienne Martellange and François Derand, on the orders of Louis XIII of France. It was the first church in Paris to break away entirely from the Gothic style and to use the new Baroque style of the Jesuits, and it had an important influence on Parisian religious architecture. It gives its name to Place Saint-Paul and its nearest Metro station, Saint-Paul. Next door to the church is the Lycée Charlemagne, also founded by the Jesuits.
Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux is a Roman Catholic parish church at 12 Rue des Blancs-Manteaux in Le Marais, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. It takes its name from the "Les Blancs-Manteaux", for the cloaks worn by the mendicant Augustinian Order of Servites, who founded the first church 1258. It was rebuilt between 1685 and 1689 in the French Baroque or French neoclassical style. It is noted for its remarkable carved wood pulpit (1749) and its collection of paintings and sculpture.
Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas is a Roman Catholic parish church in Paris, France. The church is located at the corner of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue de l'Abbé de l'Épée in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The first church on the site, a monastery chapel, was built in 1360. The present church was completed in 1685. The church is named for Saint-Jacques Du-Haut-Pas,", a cousin of Christ and the first bishop of Jerusalem, who was martyred in the year 60 A.D. It was registered as an historical monument on 4 June 1957.
Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes (Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes) is a Catholic church located at 70 rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally built as the chapel of a convent of the mendicant order of Shoeless Carmelites. It is now the church of the Catholic Institute of Paris, a university-level seminary for training priests, and is also a parish church for the neighbourhood. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary. Built between 1613 and 1620, it combines elements of Classical architecture on the exterior with a remarkable display of Baroque architecture and art in the interior. The chapel is open to the public at limited hours.
Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin is a Roman Catholic church located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, place Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, between the rue du Bac and the boulevard Saint-Germain. The church is named for Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican friar and priest, and influential philosopher and theologian in the 13th century. It was originally a chapel of an abbey of the Dominican order in Paris. Construction began in 1682, and the church was consecrated in 1682. The friars were expelled and the church was closed during the French Revolution, and was not returned to the Catholic church until 1802. During the 19th century, the City of Paris endowed the church with many fine examples of French religious art. The church was declared an Historic Monument in 1982.
The Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles de Paris is a Roman Catholic parish church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It has housed the relics of the Empress Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, since 1819, for which it remains a site of veneration in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. In 1915 the French Ministry of Culture listed it as a monument of historical value.
The Église Saint-Philippe-du-Roule is a Roman Catholic church located at 154 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Resembling a Roman temple. it was built in the style of Neoclassicism between 1774 and 1784 by architect Jean-François Chalgrin best known for his design of the Arc de Triomphe. It was enlarged in 1845 by the architects Étienne-Hippolyte Godde and Victor Baltard.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
