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Origin and history

The Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Vénissieux church, located in the Parilly district, was built between 1931 and 1933 by architect Joanny Verger. It met the demand of a working population, mainly from Italian and Spanish immigration, working at the nearby Berliet factory. This project, carried by Canon Chavret and financially supported by Marius Berliet, symbolizes the religious fervour and worker solidarity of the inter-war period. The materials, such as the chewing of the forges and the wood of the Berliet workshops, were supplied by the factory, and many workers volunteered to participate in the construction.

The sober facade, marked by art deco influence, hides an interior stripped in the shape of a rectangular vessel, covered with a walled ceiling. Until 1968, the church housed several statues and a 19th century cross road, now missing, with the exception of a statue of the Virgin. The stained glass of the choir, made in 1946 by Théodore-Gérard Hanssen in collaboration with the Lyon workshop H. Paquier-Sarrasin, are unique in France. They represent the Holy Family integrated into the working world, with St.Joseph working in a Berliet workshop and the Virgin feeding, illustrating the joys and sufferings shared between the workers and Christ.

The three bells of the church, installed between 1932 and 1952, carry peaceful currencies, such as "Jeanne d'Arc sings Peace" or "Peace in Justice". They commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first Mass. In 2006, facades, roofs and stained glass windows were included in the additional inventory of historic monuments, recognizing their heritage value. The parish complex, including presbytery, parish hall and gardens, bears witness to the social and religious history of Venissieux in the 20th century.

The church is closely linked to the working identity of the Parilly neighbourhood, where the Berliet factory played a central role. The stained glass windows, financed by the diocese, the priest and the parishioners, combine religious and industrial symbols, such as the Basilica of Fourvière and the Berliet factory, placed in the same plane. These works, with dominant blue, red and yellow colours, celebrate the work and dignity of the workers, with a "Blue Chartres" which Hanssen would have kept secret. Fr. Billot, the first parish priest from 1933 to 1957, embodied this community before leaving for Vienna.

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