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Origin and history

The church Our Lady of Dunes is a Catholic religious building built in Mimizan-Plage, in the Landes department, in response to the tourist boom of the seaside resort. From the 1880s, Mimizan opened to tourism, and a first chapel, known as the sea, was erected in 1896. However, the influx of visitors and new residents between the 1950s and 1960s made this place of worship too small, requiring the construction of a more spacious church.

Implementation of the project is entrusted to the association The parish site, created on 6 January 1968, mobilizes funds through a municipal grant, public donations (relayed by South West) and kermesses. The plans are designed by architect Philippe Lissalt. The church was inaugurated on 8 June 1969 by Monsignor Bézac, in the presence of the priests Dutrish, Duvignau and Meyrans, with a mass animated by the singer John Littleton. A few days later, a ceremony commemorates the 40th anniversary of the emergency landing of the Canari Bird on the beach in 1929.

Designed to combine simplicity and functionality, the church adopts a laminated structure, a traditional local wood material. Its unique volume houses a nave of 350 seats, an elevated choir for optimal visibility, and additional halls dedicated to concerts. The stained glass windows are the work of master glassmaker Daniel Dallet. Since its construction, the church has also welcomed Protestant cults in summer and cultural activities, such as the opening Mass of the Feast of the Sea on May 1.

In 1971, a Mass celebrated in the church was broadcast on television in the program The Day of the Lord, highlighting its role in local religious and media life. Today, it remains a symbol of the adaptation of cultural heritage to the tourist and demographic changes of Mimizan-Plage.

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