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Origin and history

The church Saint-Jean-Eudes de Rouen, built in the first half of the 20th century, is part of the development of the Sapins district, intended to house large families. The project, carried by Abbé Maubec and architect Robert Danis, includes the church, a presbytery (1925-1926), a parish hall and an esplanade. The building, made of reinforced concrete and bricks, adopts a Latin cross with octagonal transept, with a dome and a bell tower. Its interior decor, rich in flint, ceramic, sculptures and glass cobblestones, reflects Art Deco aesthetics. The stained glass windows and the translucent vault (recovery of copper later) add to its originality.

The construction, entrusted to entrepreneur Georges Lanfry (1926-1930), mobilizes several artists: Marcel Imbs and Jean Gaudin for mosaics, Robert Busnel and Pierre Séguin for sculptures. The church was blessed on 10 June 1928 by Bishop de La Villerabel, Archbishop of Rouen. Its inscription in historical monuments in 1998 (with the presbytery and its gardens) devotes its heritage importance. The site, owned by the diocesan association, bears witness to the architectural and social innovation of the 1920s-1930s in Rouen.

The Sapins district, born of an ambitious urban programme (from 1922), illustrates the desire to reconcile popular housing and religious facilities. The church, by its form and materials, breaks with traditional models, while serving as a community pole. The religious bulletins of the Archdiocese (1924-1932) document its construction, emphasizing its role in local life, as evidenced by the parish festivals (e.g. the "Festival of the Rooster" in 1929).

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