Église Saint-Gabriel, Catholic church in 20th arrondissement, Paris, France
Église Saint-Gabriel is a Catholic church on Rue des Pyrénées in Paris's 20th arrondissement. Its pale cream facade has a large arched window filled with abstract tracery above dark double doors, and a blue-gray cross stands to the right. Inside, wooden pews line a red carpet leading to an altar backed by a tall wooden organ with silver pipes.
The church replaced a gasworks demolished in 1932–1933. Cardinal Jean Verdier laid the foundation stone on 4 September 1934 and consecrated the building on 27 October 1935; its planned bell tower was never completed, partly because of the Second World War. A separate parish was created in 1938, detached from Notre-Dame-de-l'Immaculée-Conception.
The parish takes its name from Saint Gabriel because a donation from the widow of a man named Gabriel Dumas helped fund construction. Since 2006 the church has held a 25-stop Alcouffe-Steinmetz organ, played in 2024 by titular organist Yanka Hekimova and co-titular Philippe Delaire, used for services and concerts.
The church stands at 81 rue des Pyrénées in the 20th arrondissement, a short walk from the Porte de Bagnolet metro area. Enter through the dark double doors under the low canopy; the red poster panel on the left facade and the "PAROISSE" sign by the fence mark the parish entrance. The organ, with 25 stops, is used for concerts as well as services, so check the parish website for event dates before travelling.
The planned bell tower was never built, partly because the Second World War broke out. The parish was one of ten pilot parishes that tested the Église verte label, presented in Paris on 16 September 2017. Its organ, by Alcouffe-Steinmetz, has 25 stops and is used for concerts as well as services.
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