Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint Lucian Church, located on Rue de la Convention in La Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis), is a Catholic place of worship dedicated to Saint Lucien. Its site, occupied since Antiquity, has revealed various archaeological traces: medieval and modern burials, eight Merovingian sarcophagi, as well as pottery coats of the Hallstatt or La Tene, sigillated ceramics of the second–third centuries and antique tiles. These discoveries suggest a continuous human occupation and an ancient religious vocation.

It is assumed that a first place of Christian worship existed on this site as early as the seventh century. According to the sources, Robert Le Pieux erected an oratory there in 1015. A church of Merovingian origin, attested around 1180, was destroyed by the Huguenots before being rebuilt in 1580 and consecrated on 26 June of the same year. The building became a stage of the procession of the monks of Saint-Denis until 1629. In the 18th century, a new facade was added, followed in 1839 by the installation of a clock. In 1929, the church underwent a new enlargement.

The present three-nave church preserves foundations close to those of the original building. It houses remarkable works, including polychrome wooden statues offered by sculptor Pierre Dubos (1889–1974), a student of Bourdelle. Among these creations is a triptych of terracotta and wood illustrating Pentecost, the Baptism of Jesus and the parable of the prodigal Child. Today, the church depends on the pastoral assembly of La Courneuve and is served by the Sons of Charity, a congregation founded in 1918.

The church's history is also linked to cultural figures, such as Jean-Édouard Lamy, parish priest close to Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. These artistic connections underline its anchoring in local life and its role beyond the strict religious framework.

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