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Origin and history

The Saint-Yves-des-Quatre-Routes church, located on Lenin Avenue in La Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis), was built between 1930 and 1933 to meet the spiritual and social needs of a growing Parisian suburbs. In the 1920s, the sector, marked by strong labour immigration and a blatant lack of equipment, attracted the attention of the diocese of Paris. Father Joseph Le Quelic, originally from Brittany, was sent there in 1929 to found a parish, choosing Saint Yves as patron in tribute to his origins and his role as a lawyer for the poor.

The project was made possible thanks to the funding of the Viscount and Viscounte de Gourcuff, who, according to an anecdote, would have been moved by the local precariousness by seeing a baby lying in a soapbox. Architects Michel Bridet and Pierre Robert designed a reinforced concrete and brick building, with a slender bell tower and a Latin cross interior, without columns. Cardinal Verdier, who laid the first stone in 1930, blessed the church in 1933, designating it as one of his favourite among the 16 construction sites he supervised.

The interior, sober but harmonious, is illuminated by stained glass windows of Roger Bâteau and a large central chandelier, while art deco sculptures, such as Georges Serraz's crouched Virgin or the statues of Yvonne Parvillé, adorn the places. The church became an essential community centre, complemented by a clinic and kindergarten run by the Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul. It reflects the Catholic Church's commitment to working-class suburbs, where it now coexists with other places of worship.

Ranked a historical monument in 2021, the church also includes the adjoining presbytery (excluding extension of 1957). Its architecture, combining modernity and religious symbolism, bears witness to the social challenges of the inter-war period and the desire to create spiritual landmarks in a changing territory. Work in 2012 improved its access, continuing its central role in the Quatre-Routes district.

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