“Lost souls seeking miracles.” That’s how some described the crowds thronging to Sentier Saint-Médard. Our journey takes us back to 18th-century Paris, to a small street near the church of Saint-Médard. Sentier Saint-Médard itself wasn’t the main attraction. Its proximity to the church, however, placed it at the heart of a social and religious phenomenon. The church of Saint-Médard, a gothic structure built between the 15th and 17th centuries, became the epicenter of the Jansenist movement. Jansenism, a theological movement challenging Catholic orthodoxy, found fertile ground in the hearts of many Parisians.
The death of François de Pâris, a deacon at Saint-Médard and a devout Jansenist, ignited a firestorm. Pâris, known for his piety and charity, died in 1727 and was buried in the church’s charnel house. His followers, believing him to be a saint, began visiting his tomb, praying for miracles. Soon, reports of miraculous healings began to spread. The lame walked, the blind saw, and the deaf heard. Sentier Saint-Médard, a pathway leading to the church, became a conduit for those seeking divine intervention. These miracles, however, were often accompanied by convulsions, adding a bizarre and unsettling dimension to the events. These “convulsionnaires,” as they were called, writhed and contorted in fits of religious ecstasy.
News of the miracles and convulsions drew crowds from all over Paris and beyond. Sentier Saint-Médard witnessed a constant stream of pilgrims. The atmosphere was charged with religious fervor and spectacle. Some saw genuine miracles. Others dismissed the events as hysteria or fraud. The court of Louis XV, wary of the growing Jansenist movement, grew concerned. The authorities closed the cemetery in 1732, hoping to quell the fervor. However, the movement continued underground, a testament to the power of belief and the human need for hope. The convulsions at Saint-Médard eventually subsided. Yet, the legacy of Sentier Saint-Médard as a place of miracles and controversy remained. The street, though quiet now, still whispers tales of the extraordinary events that once unfolded there.