Our Lady of Consolation – Paris

In the Rue Goujon – strangely isolated, yet in immediate proximity to the Avenue Montaigne, Paris’ top shopping street – stands a curious monument to a tragedy of history. It is the chapel of Notre-Dame de Consolation/Monument to the Victims of the Fire of the Charity Bazaar. in 1897 an association of Catholic charities organized a charity bazaar on this location. Ladies of high society took a leading role in organizing the event – women are so eager to participate in such initiatives! A high point of the fair was to be a demonstration of the newly invented motion pictures. Tragically, on May 4, 1897, the primitive projection equipment caught fire and the entire structure housing the bazaar quickly went up in flames. Over 125 died in horrible circumstances – mostly women and children. Leading the list of the deceased was Sophie Charlotte, Duchess of Alencon of the German Wittelsbach family – the sister of the Empress of Austria, “Sissi,” and who had beed betrothed for a time to Ludwig II of Bavaria. The shocking event was reflected in the writings of Catholic authors of the period like Joris-Karl Huysmans and Leon Bloy (the latter producing some extraordinarily uncharitable remarks).

Almost immediately a plan was drawn up to construct a chapel to the memory of the deceased on the very site of the tragedy. By 1901 it stood finished. The facade is remarkable evocation of Berniniesque Baroque on French soil. The domed interior is an incredibly lavish recreation of 17th century baroque, employing painting, sculpture, metalwork, marble and stained glass. Crowning the whole and completely in the style of the late baroque era, a painting in the cupola illuminated by unseen windows shows Our Lady leading the victims of the fire to paradise. If a little extravagant in its decoration, the chapel Notre-Dame de Consolation does achieve an effect of grandeur far in excess of the actual dimensions of the church. In the rear of the chapel proper is a kind of cloister, infrequently open. Its walls are lined with memorials to the victims of the fire.

Crowning the dome is a statue of Our Lady.

Commemorating the young mothers who were victims of the fire.

The main altar today (above). The sanctuary as it looked in early 2011 – with the “people’s altar” and the communion rail removed (below)

Now the chapel from its beginnings has remained the property of an association of family members and descendants of the victims of the fire. For many years it was put at the disposal (appropriately enough) of the “Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls,” since 1953 it had accommodated the mission to the Italian Catholics of Paris (conducted by the Scalabrini Fathers). Now additional repairs were becoming necessary that that order was in no position to finance. So the association of descendants of the victims of the fire – still the proprietor – had to look for a new “tenant.” That the Archdiocese of Paris or one of the regular religious orders could undertake this task was out of the question – like their colleagues in the US, they are seeking ways to reduce their existing commitments, not undertake new ones. Only the growing forces of Tradition under the leadership of the FSSPX, were both interested in this task and capable of carrying in out. For the FSSPX had been seeking for a long time a proper home for its community of Sainte Germaine. The FSSPX was undoubtedly also aware of the significance of acquiring a very impressive and historic church in the vicinity of some of the most exclusive areas of Paris. So a long term lease was arranged, the Italian community moved to the nearby church of St. Pierre de Chaillot, and since early this year the chapel of the victims of the charity Bazaar has been in the hands of the FSSPX.1) The reaction of the Archdiocese of Paris was confined to a few venomous comments on their website. Similar sentiments were expressed by La Croix.

The FSSPX has undertaken a formidable task of restoration of this church. The happy results can already be seen in the sanctuary – but much remains to be done. I attended Low Mass here late Saturday morning. This workday mass – a kind of “dialogue mass” with readings also given in French – was conducted by the young priest with great dignity and reverence. The contrast with the average “noonday masses” in NYC could not be greater. It appeared to me that quite a few of the congregation seemed completely unfamiliar with the rules for standing, kneeling or sitting at a Low Mass. That’s a a good sign – the chapel may be attracting people totally outside the insular “traditionalist” world.

So a historic Catholic church in a major world city is saved as palace of worship – even if against the will of the local “official” church – by confiding it to the more vital forces of Tradition. Could not the same remedy be applied elsewhere? After all, the same solution has been practiced in Chicago for many years – think of St. John Cantius. And the Archdiocese of New York has gone on record claiming that they aways consider first a religious use for a closed church. Now the FSSPX may be far too radical a step – but I am sure the Fraternity of St. Peter or the Institute of Christ the King, to name couple of examples, wouldn’t be averse to exploring setting up shop in Gotham City…

(Above) A memorial to one of the victims. They will definitely benefit by the substitution in this chapel of the Requiem Mass for the “Mass of Christian Burial.” (Below) Not all American innovations are bad – even for the FSSPX. Addressing a problem usually not encountered in the dying churches of Western Europe.

1) Celier, Fr. Gregoire, De Sainte Germaine a Notre-Dame de Consolation. (Address given on March 16, 2013). This address is itself worthy of translation. From it we learn that the community of Sainte Germaine predates the FSSPX. It owes its existence to a remarkable priest, Msgr. Ducaud-Bourget: writer, poet and figure of the Resistance. From the very beginning – in the 1960’s – he had resolutely continued to celebrate the Traditional Mass – first at a hospital chapel (to the care of which he had been demoted), then at the new Traditional community of Sainte Germaine. Later, he was involved in the “takeover” of St. Nicolas-du-Chardonnet. It was only in the 1990’s, under Msgr. Ducaud-Bourget’s successor (who was himself approaching retirement), that his original community of Sainte Germaine formally became an FSSPX apostolate.