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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Thérèse-de-l-Jésus, located in the south of Rennes on Hyacinthe-Perrin Square, was built between 1934 and 1936 under the direction of architect Hyacinthe Perrin, student of Jules Gradet. This area, then agricultural and now integrated to the south of the station, saw the birth of a parish complex including a boarding school, a school and a patronage, managed by the brothers of Ploërmel. The building, close to the Greek cross (28 m wide, 38 m long), is distinguished by its Art Deco style, mixing concrete, wood, sandstone and schist of Pont-Réan. Its dome peaks at 33 meters, and its capacity reaches 1,000 places. The stained glass windows, signed by the Rault brothers, Louis Garin's murals, the mosaics of Isidore Odorico and the bronzes of Émile Evellin make it a decorative gem.

The first stone was laid on 13 May 1934, followed by the consecration on 1 June 1936. The church was the victim of two major fires: in 2001 (nave, choir and roof destroyed by an electrical failure), and in 2018 (ravaged hatch). Restored after 2001, it reopened in December 2004. Classified as a "Twentieth Century Heritage" and listed as a historical monument in 2015, it embodies both the architectural audacity of its time and the resilience of a religious heritage anchored in its territory.

Originally, the Diocese of Rennes entrusted Hyacinthe Perrin with an ambitious project: creating a modern place of worship for an urbanised neighbourhood. The architect, a major local figure, integrated innovative techniques for the time, such as the structural use of concrete. The Rennes workshops (glasses Rault, painter Garin) contributed to an exceptional interior decor, reflecting the Breton artistic effervescence of the 1930s. Today, the church remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Brittany, marked by the vagaries of its recent history.

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