Église du Sacré-Coeur de Gentilly, Romanesque Revival church in Gentilly, France

The Église du Sacré-Cœur de Gentilly is a neo-Romanesque and neo-Byzantine church built of reinforced concrete clad in Saint-Maximin limestone. Its 62-meter bell tower rises from a square base into a tapering spire topped by a cross, with a narrow open belfry flanked by four bronze angels. The facade has a gabled portal with a large arched recess filled with relief sculpture, including a central Christ in Majesty.

The church was built because the founders of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris wanted a secular campus, so no place of worship could stand on its grounds. Abbot Robert Picard de La Vacquerie, chaplain to foreign Catholic students, asked industrialist Pierre Lebaudy to fund a church on private land nearby; Lebaudy's widow honored his vow after his death in 1929. Pierre Paquet and his son Jean-Pierre drew the plans in 1931, and the building was consecrated in 1936 by Cardinal Verdier.

Since 1979 the church has served the Portuguese Catholic community, which holds its devotions here. The name comes from its dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the 1936 consecration by Cardinal Verdier. Look for the 1936 Christ in Majesty carved by Georges Saupique above the north portal doors.

The church is located near Paris' ring highway and is easily reached by public transportation, particularly by rail. Visitors can view the site during daylight hours, with the best view of the facade available from street level.

The church was built off the Cité internationale universitaire campus because that campus was to remain secular, so Abbot Robert Picard de La Vacquerie raised the funds on private land. Industrialist Pierre Lebaudy agreed to pay for it, and his widow honoured the pledge after his death in 1929. Since 1979 the building has been entrusted to the Portuguese Catholic community.