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Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Jean de Marne-Yeuse was built in 1959 on the heights of the Pusseau marsh, in Royan, to meet the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the district of La Côte 304. The latter, consisting of temporary cities (black city, white city, grey city), had been built after the 1945 bombings to relocate the victims. The initiative comes back to Georges Guionneau, supported by Father Laurent, pastor of the Church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assumption of the Park, and by the inhabitants. At first a simple place of worship, the chapel also becomes a community space, especially for young people, with an active catechism room.

From its creation, the chapel is a branch of the church of the Park, hosting two monthly Masses celebrated by Father Loret. From 1971 Father Ficot, parish priest of Meschers-sur-Gironde, celebrated a weekly mass there, marking his peak. In 1975, volunteers began to work on adorning (awning, cross road) thanks to a donation. Equipment such as fans and modern heating are added, reflecting community commitment. However, attendance declined from the 1980s due to the dechristianization and shortage of priests.

In the 1990s, the parish of Saint John joined the parish of Media, reducing Masses to one per month (the second Saturday). The chapel, a sober concrete architecture, is distinguished by its glazed nave, its bays in the middle of the hanger and its campanile housing a bell. It symbolizes the adaptation of religious heritage to post-Second World War needs, in a neighbourhood marked by social housing and a community life today reduced.

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