You may pop into a church, if it’s not locked, to say a little prayer. I go in to look at architecture and monuments; always to a greater or lesser extent rewarding and I can say a little prayer when I get home.
On Saturday morning I went into a church in Paris and was astounded; such an unexpected, theatre-set spectacle.
Saint-Étiennne-du-Mont was mostly built in the 16th century so can be labelled: French Gothic, French Renaissance – a rare crossover style. After the first eye-popping view of the intricately carved stone rood screen, another rarity, there is much more to see. It is hard to miss the Baroque pulpit, supported by Hercules.
Had I stayed longer I might have seen the shrine of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. She was spot on in her prediction for the fate of Paris and her pessimism about the fractious relationship between the French and the Huns.
“Sainte-Genevieve was born in 422 and became religious at a very young age. Once she moved to Paris, she became known for being religious and helping others. Catholic saints are known for some type of miracle that they made happen, and Genevieve’s was a vision predicting that the Huns were going to invade. She used her religion to calm others living in the area and assured them that they were protected by heaven. The Huns invaded and were unsuccessful in their quest. The location of the Church of Sainte-Genevieve is important to understanding the construction of Saint Etienne du Mont. Clovis, the King at the time, said that he would build a church if he conquered the king of a Visigoths, Alaric II. Clovis narrowed down his sights on Paris where the Church of Sainte-Genevieve was ultimately built. Once the Sainte-Genevieve church became outdated, Saint Etienne du Mont was chosen to be constructed nearby so that the people could still have a church to use for practicing their religion, which is how the Sainte-Genevieve relics and tomb made their way into the Church of Saint Etienne du Mont.” (Luke Ots)
There is more to see but I had only popped in, en passant.