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Origin and history

The Church of the Holy Spirit, located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, was built between 1928 and 1935 to respond to the post-First World War demographic boom. Initiated by Cardinal Verdier, nicknamed "the archbishop of the hundred churches", she is part of the Cardinal's Buildings, a social and religious program aimed at erecting places of worship in working quarters while creating jobs during the 1930s crisis. The building, completed in 1935, is the most emblematic achievement of this movement. In June 2025, the Cardinal's Buildings allocated 100,000 euros to the renovation of his lighting and frescoes, for work estimated at 375,000 euros.

Designed by architect Paul Tournon, the church is distinguished by its hybrid architecture, mixing reinforced concrete and bricks from Burgundy, on a triangular terrain. Its square nave, surmounted by a 22-metre-diameter dome (inspired by St.Sophie d'Istanbul), and its bell tower added in 1963 make it a unique monument. Ranked as historical monuments in 2016 (after a first partial inscription in 1979 for its interior decoration), it embodies the technical and artistic innovation of the inter-war period. Crude concrete dominates the interior, enhanced by murals made in situ by artists from the Ateliers d'Art Sacré, such as Maurice Denis or Georges Desvallières.

The interior decor, inscribed in 1979, illustrates an ambitious iconographic program: the diffusion of the Holy Spirit through the history of the Church, from the Acts of the Apostles to the twentieth century. The frescoes, unified by a standard size of the characters and a red background, were executed with the traditional fresco (on fresh coating), with exceptions such as the Pentecost of Maurice Denis (painted on dry coating) or the Chemin de Croix de Desvallières (muffled canvas). The church also houses stained glass windows by Louis Barillet, mosaics by Jean Gaudin, and sculptures by Carlo Sarrabezolles, forming a coherent ensemble commissioned by Tournon to believing artists.

The organ, built in 1934 by Gloton-Debierre according to Albert Alain's plans, was inaugurated the same year. Initially planned with a large organ and an accompaniment organ, only the organ was born due to lack of funding. Jeanne Demessieux was the holder from 1933 to 1962. In 2021, the Rochesson organ (1940) of the Saint-Nicaise church of Rouen was announced for transfer and restoration. Access to the church is via Daumesnil metro stations (lines 6 and 8) or Michel Bizot (line 8).

The building, owned by the commune, symbolizes both a pastoral response to the growing urbanisation of eastern Paris and an architectural audacity. Its ranking in 2016 reflects its heritage value, while recent works (such as the renovation of 2025) underline the desire to preserve its artistic and spiritual heritage. The frescoes, often obscured by the inner darkness, remain a rare testimony of modern sacred art, mixing Byzantine tradition and contemporary techniques.

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