Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of the Sacred Heart of Calais is a religious building built at the end of the 19th century, located on Rue du 11-Novembre in the city of Calais, department of Pas-de-Calais. It is distinguished by its neo-Gothic architecture, with a nave flanked by two collateral chapels and a remarkable organ, inscribed in the heritage of historical monuments. The organ, designed by F.H. Browne & Sons of Canterbury between 1867 and 1892, was inaugurated in 1892 by organist A. Péferan. Its moulure oak buffet and five bays of pipes make it a central element of the building.

The building of the church began in 1867 under the leadership of J. Gheerbrant, chaplain of the convent of the Sacred Heart, and then resumed in 1877 by the municipal council of Saint-Pierre-lès-Calais. It was completed in 1892 under the direction of Louis Debras, parish priest. Architect E. Normand of Hesdin and contractor L. Boulard of Saint-Pierre supervised the works. The church was consecrated on June 16, 1878 by Bishop Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Lequette, bishop of Arras, Boulogne and Saint-Omer, under the pontificate of Leo XIII.

A commemorative plaque in the nave reminds the chaplains of the church, while another, dated 1909, attests to the indulgence granted by Pope Pius X at the request of Bishop Henri Debout, prelate of the papal house and parish priest of the church. The building now suffers from degradation due to water infiltration, but remains a major architectural and spiritual testimony of the region.

The organ, enlarged in 1925 by the factor Sequies de Lille, maintains a remarkable bill. Its buffet, made up of three flat-faces and two semi-hexagonal side turrets, illustrates the know-how of the artisans of the time. The church, with its eight spans and decorative elements, embodies the religious and artistic heritage of the late 19th century in the Hauts-de-France.

External links