A whisper of history clings to the very stones. We stand before the Église Sainte-Anastasie in Lille a testament to resilience and faith.
This church isn’t just a building it’s a living story etched in brick and stone. Its history stretches back centuries its foundations laid long before records began. We do know that in 1095 the church’s altar was gifted to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Basle in Reims. A priory dedicated to Saint Anastasius flourished here until 1790.
Imagine the original Sainte-Anastasie. It stood on the banks of the Lys River a bustling site now marked by Rue Faidherbe. The church wasn’t just a single chapel. It housed additional chapels dedicated to Our Lady Saint Nicholas and Saint Roch. The structure was built of brick with sandstone foundations. White stone adorned its cornices and window frames. A simple facade crowned a tower with small rose windows. The interior was adorned with paintings. An elaborate communion bench held carvings of Abraham’s sacrifice and the manna from heaven.
The 16th century saw the addition of a stained glass window donated by the Abbess of Marquette. The monks conducted services in the choir while the priest worked in the Sainte-Anastasie chapel. The original bell tower atop the transept was later rebuilt in 1848 at the church’s entrance. Two bells Célestine and Isabelle rung out their melodies.
The First World War brought devastation. The church was destroyed. But not entirely. Brave priests saved precious relics including parish registers statues a ciborium and even a bishop’s crosier. A temporary chapel was erected on Rue Carnot. A new bell Anastasie-Georgette-Irmine tolled in 1923.
After the war the decision to rebuild was not simple. The old location was too small. A new site was chosen at the former town hall now Place Sainte-Anastasie. The new building was constructed in a basilical style. Its high nave was flooded with light from arched windows. The transept boasted stained glass windows gifts from the Roussel and Mayolle-Forge families. The choir received stained-glass tributes from the Catteau and Chuffart-Toquenne families. Two more bells Marie-Louise and Louise-Victorine-Ludivine-Albertine were baptized on December 23 1934. The new Église Sainte-Anastasie stood a beacon of hope. It was a testament to the enduring faith of the people. It is a place where history whispers and faith endures.