Sacrè-Cœur

=Sacrè-Cœur =

Paris, France is home to the Roman Catholic Church, Sacrè-Cœur. Also known as Sacrè-Cœur Basilica, the church was opened in 1914 and dedicated to the Heart of Jesus; the name Sacrè-C œ ur means Sacred-Heart in English. The church’s main architect was Paul Abadie, although others such as, Lucien Magne, Honorè Daumet, Jean-Charles Laisnè, Jean-Louis Hulot, and Henri-Pierre-Marie Rauline also helped construct the huge church. Sacrè-C œ ur stands at 273 feet making it the second highest point in Paris and is made out of travertine stone. Sacrè-Cœur was built on butte Montmarte because it was said to be the “Mount of Martyrs”; the center of intense religious life.

The inspiration for Sacrè-Cœur started with the Proclamation of the Third Republic, a speech given by Bishop Fournier associated to the French troops defeat in the Franco-Prussian war. It was also built because there was a national want for spiritual renewal. Sacrè-C œ ur is still open today every day, for prayer, adoration, and confession.

Perpetual adoration, a religious practice in the Roman Catholic church, is when the exposure of the Eucharist, the bread and wine that represents the body and blood of Christ, has been constant since 1885, even before the church was completed. This is why visitors are asked to dress appropriately and remain as silent as possible to show respect when inside the church. After the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacrè-C œ ur is the second most visited church. Visitors can tour the meditation gardens, look over the city of Paris, listen to the huge pipe organ, and experience how the religion was practiced, making Sacrè-C œ ur one of France’s many famous attractions.