Church of Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus, Roman Catholic church in Élisabethville, Aubergenville, France.
The Church of Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus, now called Édifice culturel Sainte-Thérèse, is a deconsecrated concrete church on place de Louvain in Élisabethville, Aubergenville. It has a single 20-metre-high nave, a 45-metre spire and a west front of 35 statues carved by Carlo Sarrabezolles directly into fresh concrete in six weeks. The blue entrance door, made by Raymond Subes, opens fully to lengthen the nave.
Construction started in September 1927 under architect Paul Tournon with backing from a committee sponsored by Queen Elisabeth. The project represented an important religious and architectural undertaking for the region during that period.
The church was built as a votive chapel to Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux, a gesture of Franco-Belgian friendship; the name Élisabethville honours Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. The blue entrance door carries the symbols of the four evangelists, and the façade shows the coats of arms of Belgium and France side by side. Since deconsecration the building has served as a cultural venue.
The building stands on place de Louvain in the Élisabethville residential estate, within the commune of Aubergenville in the Yvelines. It is deconsecrated and now run as a cultural venue, so access depends on guided tours and events rather than parish services. The entrance door opens fully, extending the nave for large gatherings.
The facade's 35 statues were carved by Carlo Sarrabezolles directly into fresh concrete in six weeks. The central figure, Cardinal Mercier, was sculpted in a single day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Look for the angels holding models of churches destroyed in the First World War.
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