Is that the Basilica of Fourvière in the distance? Not quite. This is the Chapelle de Marie-Thérèse. It stands a little further down the Montée du Chemin-Neuf. The Chapelle de Marie-Thérèse has a unique story. It involves revolution, faith, and the dedication of remarkable women.
Let’s step back to pre-Revolutionary Lyon. Claude Brochet de la Rochetière and his wife Antoinette Voland lived here. They had a daughter named Marie-Sophie born in 1776. The family suffered during the Revolution. Claude was persecuted for his part in the condemnation of Chalier. Marie-Sophie, her mother, and sisters were imprisoned.
After her release, Marie-Sophie went to Bordeaux. There, she met Abbé Lespiaut. He was a former Carthusian monk who had been exiled to Ireland. He later returned to Bordeaux as a priest. Under his guidance, Marie-Sophie felt called to found a religious community. She envisioned a community that combined prayer with service. They would pray for priests, educate poor children, and help those who had forgotten God.
Marie-Sophie joined with Pauline Chicard and Jeanne-Victoire Gueiseler. They faced obstacles. Jeanne-Victoire’s parents initially opposed the plan. But on October 15, 1815, the Institute of Marie-Thérèse was born. The Archbishop of Bordeaux, Monseigneur d’Aviau du Bois de Sanzay, gave the three women their white veils. Marie-Sophie took the name Sister Marie de Jésus.
The sisters started humbly in small rooms on Rue Mondenard. They quickly opened a free school for poor children. In 1818, they moved to a larger house on Rue Saint-Étienne. Abbé Lespiaut came to live with them. The community grew. Even in a disreputable neighborhood, the sisters’ kindness won hearts. Their chapel held four to five hundred people. In 1824, it became a co-parish church with the archbishop’s approval.
In 1821, Sister Marie de Jésus began traveling to Lyon. She had always wanted to establish her work here. In 1824, with the help of Canon Allibert, she acquired the former Hôtel d’Albon. It was located in the Saint-Jean district. Sisters Séraphine and Louise, Sister Céleste, and Marianne David joined her from Bordeaux. This new foundation thrived. The sisters divided their time between prayer, teaching, and manual labor.
The community moved again in 1824 to the Immeuble Génela. But the house proved too small. Mother Marie de Jésus bought a house and land next door. This gave them more space. The garden had chestnut and linden trees. At the end of the chestnut alley, they made a chapel.
The institute expanded. Limoges was founded in 1832. Nîmes followed in 1837. Pope Gregory XVI approved their constitutions in 1835. Abbé Lespiaut died in 1830. Abbé Féret succeeded him as director. Mother Marie de Jésus died in 1842. She had worn herself out visiting her communities.
After her death, the houses in Bordeaux and Limoges separated from the mother house. But the work continued. New houses were established in Carcassonne, Dijon, Péllusin, and Madrid. Mother Marie de Jésus had not been able to complete all the improvements she wanted for the Lyon house. Mother Scolastique focused on external affairs.
Mother Marie-Thérèse de Jésus, the third superior general, oversaw the construction. Started in 1870, construction was interrupted by the war. Work resumed in 1871 and finished in 1875. In August 1875, Bishop Thibaudier consecrated the chapel. It was dedicated to the Sacred Heart with Saint Thérèse as its second patron.
Today, the Chapelle de Marie-Thérèse stands as a testament to faith and service. It was built in the style of M. Bossan. The chapel has a nave with two chapels in the transept. It has a majestic feel balanced by graceful decorations. Five stained-glass windows light the main altar. Each window has two sections. The upper section shows a saint. The lower section shows a scene from the congregation’s history.
The side chapels honor the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. A carved wooden pulpit near the communion table features portraits of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Stalls and woodwork line the walls. A large gallery stands at the back of the chapel. The sacristy contains ornaments and old missals. A remarkable ivory Christ, a gift from Cardinal Fesch, adorns the community’s interior. In 2006, the sisters left to Pélussin. The Chemin Neuf community continues their mission.
The Chapelle de Marie-Thérèse continues to be a place of worship and community. It is a reminder of the women who dedicated their lives to faith and service.