Notre Dame du Sacré Coeur - Agay, France
Posted by: Narayan,
N 43° 25.809 E 006° 51.350
32T E 326454 N 4810816
Outdoor altar at the church Notre Dame du Sacré Coeur of Saint-Raphaël Agay.
Waymark Code: WMYWEZ
Location: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Date Posted: 08/02/2018
Views: 7
The first Roman-Catholic church of Agay with the name "Notre Dame du Sacré Coeur" was built here 1877-1878 by Canon Gamel, who bought the land from the family Guillaume-Béranger. One of the most famous events in the history of the church was the marriage of Antoine Saint-Exupéry, author of "Le Petit Prince", in 1931 with Consuelo Suncín Sandoval.
In 1950 the church was rebuilt due to plans by architect Semichon. It has quite an unusual shape resembling some kind of ship, with an apse in the shape of a bow and a high cross resembling a ship's flag pole. The church was sanctified by the Bishop of Frejus-Toulon on December 7, 1952.
Due to hot climate or bad condition of the church, lately, services are held outdoors in front of the church. An outdoor stone altar has been built in the shadow of some large trees, rows of plastic chairs are laid out for visitors of the services. Due to the location of the church on a hill above the Mediterranean coast, the pastor has a great view of the sea while giving service at the outdoor altar.
A plaque is attached to the church wall on the left of the entrance, detailing the history of the Catholic community of Agay and of the church Notre Dame du Sacré Coeur.