Basilica of St. Thérèse (Lisieux)
| Basilica of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Basilique Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux (in French) |
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Basilica of St. Thérèse in Lisieux
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Lisieux, France |
| Geographic coordinates | 49°8′22.8″N 0°14′12″E / 49.139667°N 0.23667°ECoordinates: 49°8′22.8″N 0°14′12″E / 49.139667°N 0.23667°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Country | France |
| Year consecrated | 1951 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Minor basilica |
| Website | http://www.therese-de-lisieux.catholique.fr |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Louis-Marie Cordonnier, Louis-Stanislas Cordonnier, Louis Cordonnier |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Neo-Byzantine |
| Groundbreaking | 1929 |
| Completed | 1954 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 4000 |
| Length | 105 metres (344 ft) |
| Width | 65 metres (213 ft) |
| Height (max) | 90 metres (300 ft) |
The Basilica of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (French: Basilique Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux) is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica dedicated to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Located in Lisieux, France, the large basilica can accommodate 4,000 people, and, with more than two million visitors a year, is the second largest pilgrimage site in France, after Lourdes.Pope John Paul II visited the Basilica on 2 June 1980.
Saint Therese of Lisieux was beatified in 1923 and canonised in 1925. It was decided to build a large basilica dedicated to her in the city where she lived and died. The project was launched by the Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, Bishop Thomas-Paul-Henri Lemonnier, and received the full support of Pope Pius XI who had placed his pontificate under the sign of Saint Therese. Construction started in 1929 and finished in 1954. The basilica is located on a hill at the edge of the city. It was funded entirely by donations and special contributions from several countries from around the world, based on strong devotions to Saint Therese. The basilica thus contains 18 minor altars offered by different nations to Saint Therese.
The basilica was blessed on 11 July 1937 by the papal legate Cardinal Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII). Works stopped for some time due to the Second World War, but then resumed and the basilica was completed in 1954. The basic structure, which was completed before the war, suffered little damage during the bombing, which destroyed two-thirds of Lisieux. On 11 July 1951, the basilica was consecrated by Most Reverend, the Archbishop of Rouen Joseph-Marie Martin, with the Papal Legate, Maurice Cardinal Feltin.
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