Catholic Churches, Shrines and Places of Interest in France

The rich Catholic history of France is reflected in the many shrines throughout the country. Known as Gaul during the time of Roman rule, Christianity came to France in the early 2nd Century through Roman trade routes, ports, and settlements, carried by merchants, soldiers, and early Christian missionaries from the eastern Mediterranean. The Roman Empire’s infrastructure, like roads and the port of Massalia (modern city of Marseille), facilitated this movement.

Tradition holds that early figures like Mary Magdalene, Lazarus, and Martha—disciples of Jesus—may have landed in southern Gaul….. specifically near Marseille, after fleeing persecution in Judea.

Much of the great architecture and learning of the middle ages took place in France under the auspices of the Catholic Church.

The French revolution unfortunately brought much of that to a halt with the desecration of churches, execution of priests and religious and general disdain for all things that pertained to the Catholic Church. It was allegedly the “age of reason” that saw no place for belief in God.

Fortunately, once that madness passed, many churches were restored to their natural beauty or else re-built. Today many of them reflect the original beauty that they possessed before the revolution.  And, despite what you might think from media reports, there is a growing traditionalist trend among Catholics in France, especially among young Catholics.

France is the most-visited country in Europe for foreign tourists.  France is both geographically beautiful and diverse-a country, larger than either Spain or Germany, and roughly the size of the U.S. state of Texas. France is divided in to 13 regions: 12 in mainland France, plus Corsica. Each of these is subdivided into 2 to 13 departments.

Traveling through the countryside you will find quaint villages, vineyards, the majestic French Alps, the Pyrenees mountains, the rugged cliffs of the Atlantic as well as the sunlit beaches of the Mediterranean. You will find each region of France offers its own special attractions for Catholic travelers both for organized groups and independent travelers.

And most of these locations offer special festivals and feast day celebrations throughout the year.

Geographic & Political areas of France:  

France is the third largest country in Europe (Russia and Ukraine are numbers one and two) and is roughly the size of the U.S. state of Texas.

There are 13 regions in metropolitan France, including Corsica.  These regions are further subdivided into departments.

In addition, there are 5 overseas regions (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion).

Here are just a few of the many sites in France of interest to Catholics.

Metropolitan (mostly mainland) France

Amboise:  Residence and tomb of Leonardo da Vinci

Amiens: Cathedral of Notre Dame de Amiens & head of John the Baptist

Annecy: Basilica of the Visitation (relics of St. Francis de Sales & St. Jane de Chantal)

Ars: Saint John Vianney

Autun:  Autun Cathedral Cathedral of St Lazarus of Autun (famous for its its Romanesque sculptures by Gislebertus)

Avignon: Papal Residence and home to a Eucharistic Miracle

Azile:  Poor Clares Monastery and Retreat House

Bargemon: Shrine of Our Lady of Bargemon

Bar-sur-Seine: Our Lady of the Oak

Bayeux:  The Bayeux Tapestry and Museums

Bégrolles en Mauges: Bellefontaine Abbey

Bordeaux: Route of St. James, burial site of Fr. William Joseph Chaminade, Eucharistic Miracle

Brittany:  Saint Anne d’Auray Shrine

Caen:  Two Abbeys built by William the Conqueror and his wife Mathilde.

Cannes:  Notre Dame de Bon Voyage (Our Lady of Good Voyage)

Castelnau-de-Montmiral: Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Church (Our Lady of the Assumption Church)

Chalo-Saint-Mars: grave of Servant-of-God Jérôme Lejeune, Catholic scientist who discovered the cause of Down Syndrome

Chartres: Chartres Cathedral

Chateauneuf-de-Galaure: The Home of Venerable Marthe Robin

Citeaux:   Abbay Notre-Dame de Citeaux…birthplace of the Cistercian Order

Clermont-Ferrand:  Several interesting sites in the city including Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral

Colmar: The Unterlinden Museum and the Insenheim Altarpiece

Compiegne:  Capture of Joan of Arc

Conques: The Abbey of Saint Foy

Cotignac: Our Lady of Graces & Monastery of Saint Joseph

Corsica:  Several Catholic shrines on this island

Dardilly:  Birthplace of Saint John Vianney

Dijon: Our Lady of Hope

Île Saint-Honorat:  Lerins Abbey

Faverney:  Faverney Abbey and Eucharistic Miracle of Faverney

Fontgombault:  Fontgombault Benedictine Abbey

La Garde Freinet: Our Lady of Miremer

La Louvesc: Basilica of Saint Francis Regis

La Salette: Apparitions of Our Lady of La Salette

La Trinite: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Laghet (Healing Shrine)

Laus: Our Lady of Laus

Le Barroux: Abbey of Saint Madeleine & Papal Vineyard

Le Plan-d’Aups-Ste. Baume: Saint Mary Magdaline

LeBlanc:  Priory of the Little Sisters of the Disciples of the Lamb (Down Syndrome nuns)

Le Puy-en-Velay: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Le Puy

L’Ile-Bouchard: Apparitions of Our Lady of Prayer

Lisieux: St. Therese of Lisieux

Lourdes: Saint Bernadette & Our Lady of Lourdes

Lyon: Our Lady of Fourviere

Marseille: Our Lady of the Guard & the Abbey of Saint Victor

Meaux:  Meaux Cathedral Saint Etienne de Meaux & tomb of Saint Fiacre

Mont St. Michel: Saint Michael’s Mountain

Montfort sur Meu: Birthplace of St. Louis de Montfort

Montligeon: Basilica of Our Lady of Montligeon (Basilique Notre-Dame de Montligeon)

Nancy:  Cathedral of Our Lady of the Annunciation

Nevers: Incorrupt body of Saint Bernadette

Noirtable: Notre-Dame de l’Hermitage

Normandy Coast: D-Day beaches, American Cemetery

Orcival: Baslica of Our Lady of Orcival

Paray le Monial: Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque & the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Paris: Catholic churches, shrines & places of interest

Pellevoison: Our Lady of Mercy and the White Scapular

Pibrac:  Shrine of Saint Germain Cousin

Poitiers:  Several places of interest

Pontigny:  Pontigny Cistercian Abbey

Pontmain: Our Lady of Pontmain

Prouilhe (Prouille):  Our Lady of Prouilhe Monastery….first Monastery established by Saint Dominic

Provins:  Église Sainte-Croix (Holy Cross Church)

Querrien, La Prénessaye: Apparition of Our Lady of Eternal Aid

Reims:  Cathedral of Reims…site of the crowning of 33 Kings of France

Rocamadour: Our Lady of Rocamadour “The Black Madonna”

Rouen: Saint Joan of Arc

Saint Anne d’Auray: Basilica of Saint Anne

Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye:  Abbey and Relics of Saint Anthony the Great

Saint-Laurent sur Severes: St. Louis de Montfort & Blessed Marie Louise Trichet

Saint-Honorat: Lérins Abbey Cistercian monastery

Saint Maximin-le-Sainte-Baume  Shrine of St, Mary Magdeline

Saint-Pern: burial place of Saint Jeanne Jugan, Saint Mary of the Cross

Solignac:  Priory of Saint Joseph

Strasbourg:  Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre Dame Astronomical Clock and magnificent Medieval Tapestries

Tarascon: The Collegiate Church of Saint Martha & The Abbey of Saint Michael of Frigolet

The Isle of Oléron (île d’Oléron):  Island with ties to Eleanor of Aquitane

Toulouse: Interesting churches including the tomb of St. Thomas Aquinas

Tours: Saint Martin of Tours

Troyes: Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, tomb of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Vannes:  Cathédrale Saint-Pierre (Cathedral of Saint Peter)  Tomb of Saint Vincent Ferrer

Vence:  The Rosary Chapel by Henri Matisse

Verdelaise: Basilica of Our Lady of the Afflicted

Visques:  Abbaye Saint Paul (Saint Paul Abbey)

Collectivity, Overseas Departments and Overseas Territories of France

We know this can be a bit confusing, so we are presenting a brief definition of each.

French Collectivity:

A collectivity is a first-order administrative division of France, like the French regions, but has a semi-autonomous status.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (north Atlantic, near Newfoundland)

Overseas Departments of France:

Departments and Regions (DROM), also known as “départements et régions d’outre-mer” in French, are territories that are integral parts of France, sharing the same status as departments and regions in Metropolitan France and include Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, and Mayotte.

French Guiana: (northeastern coast of South America)

Guadalupe:

the Island of Guadeloupe is both an overseas department and an overseas region of France (confusing, we know). It is not a separate overseas territory but an integral part of France, meaning it has the same status as other French departments and regions, but with an overseas location in the Caribbean, north of Dominica and south of Montserrat.

Overseas Regions of France:

Martinique:  (Caribbean)

Overseas Territories of France:

Corsica: south east of France and to the west of Italy,  Several Catholic shrines on this Mediterranean island.

Both and overseas Department and and Overseas Region (we know, this is confusing).

Guadalupe: (in the Caribbean, north of Dominica and south of Montserrat) .Guadeloupe is both an overseas department and an overseas region of France. It is not a separate overseas territory but an integral part of France, meaning it has the same status as other French departments and regions, but with an overseas location.

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