Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet () is a Catholic church in the centre of Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement. It was constructed between 1656 and 1763. The facade was designed in the classical style by Charles Le Brun. It contains many notable art works from the 19th century, including a rare religious painting by Jean-Baptiste Corot.

Since the expulsion of the parish priest and his assistants by traditionalist Catholics in 1977, the church has been run by the Society of St. Pius X, which celebrates Traditional Latin Masses there.

History

Establishment

thumb|left|Church on the map of Paris (1676)

A chapel was first built in 1230, in a field planted with chardons (thistles), hence the name. It originally was a dependence of the Abbey of Saint Victor. As the population of the neighbourhood grew, a series of larger churches were built. In 1656, the construction of the present church began, under architects Michel Noblet and François Levé. Due to a shortage of funds, the church was not finished until 1763. Only the bell tower, built sometime before 1600, remains from the earlier church.

In the late 17th century, noted harpsichordist Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy (1633–1694) served as titular organist of the church.

The church was closed and badly damaged during the French Revolution, and most of the art was destroyed. It was gradually replaced with new work by French artists in the 19th century.

Since 1905, the city of Paris, following the enactment of the law on separation of Church and State, claims ownership of the church but grants the Roman Catholic Church a free usage right.

1977 occupation and rededication

On 27 February 1977, traditionalist priest Monsignor François Ducaud-Bourget, who opposed the post-Vatican II Mass, organised a meeting of his followers at the nearby Maison de la Mutualité. He led the attendees to Saint-Nicolas church, where a service was just concluding. Ducaud-Bourget entered in procession, went to the altar and said Mass in Latin. The parish priest was ejected. The occupation was intended to be just for the length of the Mass, but then it continued indefinitely. The occupiers aligned themselves with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), and received help from its leader, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. On 20 February 1987, the Conseil d'État ruled that the disturbance to public order resulting from an expulsion would be higher than that resulting from the illegal occupation.

Ducaud-Bourget died in 1984, and was replaced by Philippe Laguérie. In 1993, the SSPX members, led by Laguérie, unsuccessfully attempted to occupy another church in Paris, St-Germain l'Auxerrois.

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the congregation of Saint-Nicolas defied the social distancing regulations then in force by holding an Easter Vigil. A live stream on YouTube showed the priest and deacons in close contact, without wearing masks, and Holy Communion was given with bare hands. About 40 people were in attendance. The priest was warned and booked, and given a €135 fine.

Exterior

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File:Facade Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet Paris.jpg|The west front (completed 1937), with main doorway and bell tower

File:P1340989 Paris V eglise St-Nicolas Chardonnet rwk.jpg|Southwest side of the church along Rue des Bernardins

File:P1340942 Paris V eglise St-Nicolas Chardonnet rwk.jpg|The apse of the church

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The construction of the primary facade of the church on Rue Monge, designed by architect Charles Halley, was long unfinished, and was not completed until 1937. It follows the classical style of the rest of the building. The side doorway along the rue des Bernardins, designed by Charles Le Brun, dates to 1669, and is a particularly good example of the classicism of the period. It features pilasters in the Ionic and composite style, triangular frontons or pediments, and sculpted angels. The door, designed by Nicolas Legendre, is richly decorated with carved wreaths and heads of cherubs.

The Chapel of the Baptismal Fonts displays a rare religious painting by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, "The Baptism of Christ". The Baptism itself occupies only the lower third of the painting, and follows the classical style of Nicolas Poussin. The upper two-thirds are occupied by an angel flying above a majestic tree and landscape, the subjects for which Corot became famous. Eugène Delacroix saw the painting in Corot's studio, and described it in his journal as "His grand baptism of Christ, full of naive beauties."

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File:P1340958 Paris V eglise St-Nicolas Chardonnet chaire rwk.jpg|The pulpit in the nave

File:Altar, Saint Nicolas du Chardonnet, Paris.jpg|Altar in Chapel of Saint Vincent de Paul

File:2021-05-29 12-13-30 egl-St-Nicolas-Paris.jpg|Carved sculpture in the nave

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Services

The priests of the SSPX at Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet livestream every Mass offered at the church on YouTube, along with Vespers, clergy-led Rosaries, and catechism lessons.

References

Bibliography (in French)

  • Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; Églises de Paris (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux,
  • Hillairet, Jacques; Connaissance du Vieux Paris; (2017); Éditions Payot-Rivages, Paris; (in French).
  • Official website of the church
  • Tridentine Missa Cantata (Sung Latin Mass) for the Last Sunday after Pentecost
  • YouTube channel of the church, with streamed Masses.