Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle, also known as the Church of Kerentrech, is a Catholic parish church located in Place de l'Yser, in the Kerentrech district of Lorient (Morbihan). It was built between 1849 and 1854. Its history goes back a long way, with a first church built by Saint Phelan (or Felan), an Irish monk who died around the year 500, who would have founded the monastery of the Faouedic in Ploemeur.

The organ of the church is a remarkable element: first out of the Cavaillé-Coll workshops in 1838, it was initially installed in the former church of Saint-Louis de Lorient. In 1891 he was transferred to the church of Kerentrech. To protect him from the 1943 bombings, he was dismantled and stored at the Château d'Érec in Questembert, then resettled in 1945 by German prisoners.

Between 1950 and 1976, the organ underwent many changes. In 1992, the expert organist Pierre Dumoulin stressed the importance of preserving his original elements, which were considered rare. Ranked historic monument in 2000, it is considered a masterpiece to restore. The city of Lorient allocated €600,000 for its safeguard, stressing its role in the liturgy and cultural life of the neighborhood.

A reconstruction close to the original organ is envisaged, thanks to the plans and pieces preserved in other churches of the same period, such as those of Pontivy, Dinan and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in Paris. This instrument remains an exceptional testimony of Breton religious and musical heritage.

External links