Isn’t it amazing how a community’s spirit can raise a church? Right here stands the Sainte-Famille. It embodies faith and collective effort. Though not in Lille itself but in a neighboring area its story resonates with the spirit of the region.
Let’s journey back to 1949. Cardinal Achille Liénart entrusted Abbé Alfred Potdevin with a mission. He was to establish a parish in the Hutin district of Roubaix. This new Christian community would be named Sainte-Famille. It sat between the canal the Roubaix cemetery and Wattrelos.
Abbé Potdevin embraced his mission enthusiastically. He biked around the district. It was home to over 3000 residents. He introduced himself to his future parishioners. He shared the good news. A church would be built through their goodwill. People responded positively to his call.
The area was recovering from World War II. Businesses thrived. These included Lainière and the Amédée Prouvost combing plant. Also Dubar-Delespaul and Pennel et Flipo. Not to mention Gallant and Olivier. And Lestienne and Clarel. New housing was also planned.
Most people walked. To attend Sunday Mass they had to go to the Sacré Cœur church or Saint Vincent de Paul. Action was needed quickly. The first Mass was held on February 1 1949. It took place in a house on Rue Mazagran.
This was temporary. A larger space was needed. The Church acted fast. On April 3 1949 the first stone was laid. A crowd of faithful attended the concelebrated Mass. Cardinal Achille Liénart officiated. Bishop Henri Dupont also attended. As well as Abbés Alfred Potdevin and Jacques Testelin.
They agreed to meet again in three months for the inauguration. It was an ambitious challenge. The new community embraced it. Everyone invested time money and effort. Parishioners bought bricks and cement. They provided tools. They discovered skills in construction and carpentry. The women managed supplies. It was a family affair.
Children tirelessly broke stones. These stones formed the church floor. Concrete was poured over them. Scouts hauled wheelbarrows of gravel sand and cement. Foremen oversaw the work. Everyone was motivated. They worked together happily.
By mid-June the main structure was complete. On June 23 1949 the Madeleine-Françoise bell was baptized. It was designed and cast locally. Parishioners received the traditional distribution of sweets.
The seemingly impossible was achieved. On July 3 1949 exactly three months after the first stone was laid the church was inaugurated. It was filled with the men and women who had built it. Only the frontispiece and some windows remained to be installed.
The neighborhood celebrated. Children dressed in white paraded. Scouts and the clergy marched. Lay people joined in. They walked the streets before heading to Sainte-Famille. They attended the first Mass. Cardinal Achille Liénart thanked the builders. He reminded them that salvation is achieved through life’s actions. Bishop Adrien Gand repeated this quote. It was during the open-air Mass for the parish’s twentieth anniversary in 1969. A meal followed. All the faithful were invited.
The Sainte-Famille stands as a testament to faith. It is a symbol of community. It shows what people can achieve together.