Why does this church bear such a significant name? The story of the Église du Saint-Nom-de-Jésus begins with the return of the Dominicans to Lyon. The order was re-established in France in 1850. Father Lacordaire initiated this revival.
Father Vincent Jandel became the master-general of the order in 1855. Father Antoine Danzas was a supporter of Jandel. Danzas succeeded Lacordaire as provincial of France from 1854 to 1858. He decided to found a convent in Lyon. It would be inspired by rigorous orthodoxy. It would also be the seed of a new province.
The religious order settled in the Brotteaux district. This area was undergoing urbanization. It represented a mission field for them. Camille Rambaud supported them. They began constructing a convent and a large church. Louis Bresson served as the architect. Construction took place from 1857 to 1863. Cardinal de Bonald blessed it on August 16, 1863. This date marked the feast of Saint Hyacinth. The Dominicans of Lyon had venerated him at Notre Dame de Confort since the 16th century.
Father Danzas played a crucial role in choosing the Neo-Gothic style. This mirrored the grand Dominican constructions of the 13th century. He also influenced the design and creation of exceptional stained glass windows from 1866. The stained glass program aligned with his vision. The project remained unfinished due to Father Danzas’s death in 1888. The windows depict the life of Christ. They also illustrate the founding and history of the Dominican order. The mysteries of the Rosary received prominence. This cult was closely linked to Saint Dominic and the preaching brothers. It experienced a revival at that time.
The spatial organization and iconography of the Saint-Nom-de-Jésus windows can be interpreted as a manifesto of Dominican fundamentalism. It occurred at the end of the 19th century. It was rooted in the reference and reverence of the 13th century. It emphasized the holiness of the Dominicans and their divine origin. The altar was consecrated in 1900 by Prosper Amable Berthet. He was the bishop of Gap.
Following the expulsion of congregations in 1903, the church was purchased by a lay association. It was named Lacordaire-Bugeaud-Tête d’Or. In 1909, it became the seat of a new parish. In 1915, anticlerical tensions eased. Cardinal Sevin decided to entrust the parish to a Dominican priest. Various priests and vicars developed numerous works. They maintained charge of the parish until 1984. Then, it was entrusted to the secular clergy.
The church underwent restoration work at the end of the 20th century. It was completed in 1999. In 2009, the parish celebrated its centennial. On September 1, 2012, the parish was once again entrusted to the Dominican brothers. In 2013, the Église du Saint-Nom-de-Jésus commemorated the 150th anniversary of its inauguration and blessing.
Inside the Église du Saint-Nom-de-Jésus, you would have found two works by Joseph-Hugues Fabisch. These include the pulpit of which only five statues remain and the altar of the Virgin. The Église du Saint-Nom-de-Jésus stands not just as a building. It represents a testament to faith. It embodies a rich history. It echoes the dedication of those who shaped it.