Did the spirit of St. Thérèse of Lisieux guide the creation of Église Sainte-Thérèse-d’Avila here in Paris? The story begins with a priest, Father Daniel Brottier. He served as a chaplain during the horrors of World War I, miraculously surviving unscathed. He attributed his survival to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. This devotion would lead him to the creation of a beautiful tribute right here. In 1923, Father Brottier took charge of a struggling orphanage, the Apprentis d’Auteuil, seeing this as a sign from his beloved saint. He immediately envisioned a new chapel, a beacon of hope for the orphans, dedicated to St. Thérèse. The existing chapel was inadequate. He dreamed of a grand basilica, a fitting tribute to the saint. The Église Sainte-Thérèse-d’Avila was more than just a building. It was to be a spiritual haven. Father Brottier wasted no time. He wrote to the prioress in Lisieux, seeking approval and a sign. He also asked St. Thérèse for a very specific sign: 10,000 francs before his meeting with the Bishop of Paris. On the day of the meeting, a grateful mother offered him an envelope containing the exact sum, a miracle in his eyes. The Bishop initially hesitated. He suggested other patron saints, but Father Brottier insisted on St. Thérèse. He believed she would be a mother figure to the orphans. He began fundraising, trusting in divine providence. He compared the building of the church to making St. Thérèse a “very pretty dress,” rather than a simple one. Donations poured in, confirming his faith. Christmas Day, 1925, marked the first mass in the newly built Église Sainte-Thérèse-d’Avila. Today, this chapel stands as a testament to Father Brottier’s unwavering devotion and houses relics of St. Thérèse. It’s a sanctuary of peace and hope, echoing the words of St. Thérèse herself, “One can never have too much trust in a God so good and so merciful.”
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to