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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-des-Mineurs church in Waziers, located in the Clochette district, was built in the 1920s by the Aniche Mine Company to accommodate the Polish community who came to work in the local mines. Designed by architects Louis-Marie Cordonnier and his son Louis-Stanislas, it is distinguished by an innovative architecture evoking mining galleries, with a unique concrete vessel and brick decorations. The building, 60 metres long, could accommodate 1,500 faithful and was blessed in 1927 by the Archbishop of Cambrai.

The church is marked by a strong symbol of number 3, reflecting the Trinity: three front doors, three surrounding mining cities (Notre-Dame, la Clochette, Berce-Gaant), and three windows on each gable. Its furniture, including white stone altars inlaid with mosaics and a pulpit inspired by Polish craftsmanship, is fully preserved. The truncated and creneled bell tower and sober stained glass windows reinforce its sober and massive character, typical of industrial churches.

Ranked a historical monument in 2010 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, the church houses exceptional relics: a crucifix blessed in 1946 by Bishop Angelo Roncalli (future Pope John XXIII), a cap offered by the latter, and a piece of the bloody sudan of John Paul II after the 1981 attack. These relics, obtained through the influence of the priest Francis Wojtyla (cousin of John Paul II), make this place a unique pilgrimage site.

The history of Waziers dates back well before the 20th century, with references to a church of St.Rictrude from the 12th century, linked to the Abbey of Marchiennes and the chapter of Douai. In the Middle Ages, the village already housed castral chapels and religious services financed by local lords, such as Hellin de Wavrin in 1229. However, the present church is the main embodiment of the region's industrial and migratory heritage, marked by the massive arrival of Polish miners in the inter-war period.

Since 2001, the church has been run by a safeguard association, after the archdiocese of Cambrai had ceded its management under the impulse of François Wojtyla. Renovated and revitalized, it today hosts monthly celebrations (on the 2nd of each month) around the relic of John Paul II. Its architecture, its migration history and its religious treasures make it both a heritage, spiritual and memorial monument, a symbol of the fusion between faith, mining and Polish identity in France.

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