We have driven and walked in my eternal Paris, and would like to have an imprint in my blog on the wonderful family times we had there, There is so much to see , doing my best, and glad found me these pictures in my cd rom vault ,which now transposing in my blog for you and me, This was my former worked city, so glad to post more memorable spots on it, I thank you for your readership over the years and to bear with my rants! After all Paris is to rant, shout and yelled about, me think. Therefore, here is my take on the Congrégation du Saint-Esprit of Paris !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The first mother house of the Congrégation du Saint-Esprit or Congregation of the Holy Spirit, this seminary is an incredible complex of buildings tucked away in Paris’s 5éme arrondissement at 28-30 Rue Lhomond . It includes, notably, a sublime chapel built by Chalgrin and an impressive refectory with a wooden ceiling.
Built between 1778 and 1782, the chapel of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit ( see pic) is absolutely magnificent. Its façade is adorned with a bas-relief by François Duret entitled “Preaching and Baptism by Missionaries,” featuring 26 figures. The interior was richly painted and decorated between 1876 and 1878 and houses choir stalls from the Abbey of Gard. The seminary also conceals a sumptuous refectory with massive wooden beams and a grand staircase with its original wrought-iron railing.
The chapel is distinguished by its unadorned façade on Rue Lhomond. Above the door, a large semicircular arched window is surmounted by a bas-relief. This bas-relief depicts the preaching and baptism of missionaries. The exposed wall and the prominent modillion cornice are characteristic of the Neoclassical style. Inside, the chapel was repainted between 1876 and 1878. The chapel of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a private chapel,
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit was founded in 1703 in Paris by Claude Poullart des Places and revitalized in 1848 through its merger with the Society of the Sacred Heart of Mary, founded by François Libermann. The Spiritans, also known as Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, form a missionary clerical congregation particularly active in Africa. Its current headquarters are in Rome (Clivo di Cinna 195), with its historic mother house at 30 rue Lhomond in Paris. It also has a presence at Notre-Dame de Langonnet Abbey (see post) in my beautiful Morbihan. In these beautiful buildings, the seminary trained missionary priests for the French colonies. But the French revolution arrived, and it was closed, sold… becoming a paper mill and later housing the École Normale Supérieure (ENS)! It wasn’t until 1822 that the community returned to these premises and resumed the training of Spiritan fathers and brothers, particularly in Africa and Asia, where they have a strong presence today.
It is a private residence where the congregation lives and works, but visits are possible by appointment inquire at the reception desk or by calling +33 1 47 07 49 09 (believe number still good).
I take advantage of this post to tell you about the Rue Lhomond is located in the Val-de-Grâce quartier/neighborhood of the 5éme district or arrondissement of Paris. The street is 578 meters long, and begins at 1 Place de l’Estrapade and ends at 8 Rue de l’Arbalète. It has borne its current name since 1867 in homage to Charles François Lhomond, a French priest, grammarian, and scholar. It is served by metro line 7 at the Censier-Daubenton station, the closest, as well as the line 7 at the Place Monge station. The street’s origins are Gallo-Roman. Its route from Place de l’Estrapade to Place Lucien Herr corresponds to the path of the Roman road from Lutetia to Lugdunum and Italy. The starting point of this road was located at the corner of the Roman forum, currently at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue Soufflot. This road crossed the Bièvre river via a ford near the present-day Saint-Médard Church (see post) ,and continued to the location of the current Avenue des Gobelins and Avenue de Choisy. In the 15C, it was known as “Rue des Poteries” (Pottery Street) due to ancient Gallo-Roman pottery, discovered and documented in the 18C. The name “Rue des Poteries” is thought to have changed around 1600 to “Rue des Pots” (Pots Street), which later became “Rue des Postes” (Post Office Street). It is mentioned as “Rue des Postes” in a manuscript from 1636. Notable buildings here are at No. 8: The Franco-Lebanese Center, built in 1963 at the corner of Rue Lhomond and Rue d’Ulm, is attached to a neo-Gothic religious building constructed in 1894. This building was originally intended to be the large chapel of the former Sainte-Geneviève school, a Catholic secondary school run by the Jesuit Fathers, founded in 1854 and transferred to Versailles in 1913. Since 1915, the building has been used for Maronite worship under the name Notre Dame du Liban. (See post.) The apse is visible from Rue Lhomond. No. 12: The Curie Institute, whose brick perimeter wall encloses the apse of the Church Notre Dame du Liban. No. 23: Father Franz Stock, chaplain of Parisian prisons during WWII, lived here. No. 27: Hôtel Saint-Haure, dating from the 18C, No. 29: former convent of the Benedictine Nuns of the Blessed Sacrament; Nos. 28 and 30: Seminary of the Holy Spirit , mother house of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (See above), and its chapel built in 1731; No. 51: site of the former Pantheon riding school. Created in 1867, it became a branch of the Duphot riding school in 1875. The establishment was renamed the Duchon riding school in 1912.
The official Congrégation du Saint Esprit in France : https://www.spiritains.org/
The official siége in Rome : https://spiritanroma.org/
The Paris tourist office on the 5éme arrondissement de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/explore-paris-s-5th-arrondissement-a820
There you go folks, a dandy city to explore and enjoy with the family, Memorable moments in my eternal Paris, driving and walking all over in my road warrior trails brings out sublime awesome spots with nice memorable family visits of yesteryear always remember and always looking forward to be back, eventually. Again hope you enjoy the post the Congrégation du Saint-Esprit of Paris !! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 