The Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre, also Église réformée de l'Oratoire du Louvre, is a historic

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

church located at 145

rue Saint-Honoré The rue Saint-Honoré is a street in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. It is named after the collegial situated in ancient times within the cloisters of Saint-Honoré. The street, on which are located a number of museums and upscale bou ...

– 160

rue de Rivoli Rue de Rivoli (; English: "Rivoli Street") is a street in central Paris, France. It is a commercial street whose shops include leading fashionable brands. It bears the name of Napoleon's early victory against the Austrian army, at the Battle of R ...

in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, across the street from the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

. It was founded in 1611 by Pierre de Bérulle as the French branch of the

Oratory of Saint Philip Neri The Confederation of Oratories of Saint Philip Neri ( la, Confoederatio Oratorii Sancti Philippi Nerii) abbreviated CO and commonly known as the Oratorians is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men (priests and lay- ...

. It was made the royal chapel of the Louvre Palace by

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

on December 23, 1623, and was host to the funerals of both Louis and Cardinal Richelieu. Work on the church was suspended in 1625 and not resumed until 1740, with the church completed in 1745. It was suppressed in 1792 during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, looted, stripped of its decor, and used to store theater sets. In 1811, it was given by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

to the

congregation of

Saint-Louis-du-Louvre Saint-Louis-du-Louvre, formerly Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre, was a medieval church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris located just west of the original Louvre Palace. It was founded as Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre in 1187 by Robert of Dreux as a Collegia ...

when that building was demolished to make way for the expansion of the Louvre. A statue and monument of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the great

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

leader of the 16th century, was built on the rue de Rivoli end of the church in 1889. It continues as one of the most prominent Reformed congregations in Paris, noted for its

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

theology. The closest métro station is Louvre – Rivoli. Metro-M

Prominent pastors

Paul-Henri Marron Paul-Henri Marron was the first Reformed tradition, Reformed pastor in Paris following the French Revolution. Born in the Netherlands to a Huguenot family, Marron first came to Paris as the chaplain of the Dutch embassy. Protestants in France ha ...

1811-1832 * Jacques Antoine Rabaut-Pommier 1811-1816 * Jean-Frédéric Mestrezat 1811-1807 * Henri François Juillerat 1816-1867 *

Frédéric Monod Frédéric Monod (17 May 1794, in Monnaz - 30 December 1863, in Paris) was a French Protestant pastor. He was the older brother of minister Adolphe Monod. He was born citizen of the Republic of Geneva, and obtained the French citizenship in 18 ...

1819-1849 *

Athanase Josué Coquerel Athanase Josué Coquerel (16 June 182024 July 1875) was a French Protestant theologian. Life The son of Athanase Laurent Charles Coquerel, he was born in Amsterdam and studied theology at Geneva and at Strasbourg, and at an early age succeeded ...

1832- * Joseph Martin-Paschoud 1836-1866 *

Adolphe Monod Adolphe-Louis-Frédéric-Théodore Monod (21 January 1802 – 6 April 1856) was a French Protestant churchman. His elder brother was Frédéric Monod. He was born in Copenhagen, where his father, Jean Monod (Sept. 5, 1765 – April 23, 1836; himse ...

1847-1856 * Matthieu Rouville 1850- * Auguste-Laurent Montandon 1860-1906 * Numa Recolin 1882-1893 * Auguste Decoppet 1882-1906 * Ariste Viguié 1882-1891 * Jules-Émile Roberty 1891-1925 * Élisée Lacheret 1893-1902 * Théodore Monod 1902-1906 * John Viénot 1906-1932 *

Wilfred Monod William Frédéric Monod better known as Wilfred Monod (1867, Paris - 1943) was a Protestant Professor of theology associated to Paris and Rouen. He founded the Order of Watchers and was active in ecumenical efforts in France. He once suggested a d ...

1907-1938 * Paul Vergara 1922-1954 * André-Numa Bertrand 1926-1946 * Émile Guiraud 1933-1937 * Gustave Vidal 1938-1960 * Élie Lauriol 1946-1961 * Pierre Ducros 1954-1968 * René Château 1961-1978 *

Bernard Reymond Bernard Reymond (7 January 1933) is a Swiss pastor and theologian, honorary professor of practical theology at the Romand pastoral Institute of the University of Lausanne, which belongs to the current of Liberal Christianity. Biography In 1975, ...

* Laurent Gagnebin 1963-1965 * Christian Mazel 1964-1988 * André Pierredon * Jean-Michel Perrault 1995-2003 * Pierre-Yves Ruff 1997-2001 * Werner Burki 2003-2008 * Florence Taubmann 2003-2007 * Marc Pernot 2007-2017 * James Woody 2009-2016 * Richard Cadoux 2017-2018 * Béatrice Cléro-Mazire 2018-présent * Agnès Adeline-Schaeffer 2019-présent

Gallery

File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre nef.jpg, The pulpit and choir File:Oratoire du Louvre, intérieur.jpg, The nave and organ File:Paris Oratoire du Louvre 60446.JPG, Memorial to church members killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre 2.jpg, The upper room, onetime home to the

American Church in Paris The American Church in Paris (formerly the American Chapel in Paris) was the first American church established outside the United States. It traces its roots back to 1814, and the present church building - located at 65 Quai d'Orsay in the 7th ...

and later

The Scots Kirk, Paris The Scots Kirk Paris (french: L'Église écossaise) is a Presbyterian Protestant church situated in Paris, in rue Bayard near the Champs-Elysées in the 8th arrondissement. It is the only congregation of the Church of Scotland in France, part o ...

File:Paris Oratoire du Louvre 60447.JPG, Decoration that survived the

File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre.JPG, The facade before restoration work, from

File:P1040511 Paris Ier rue du Louvre Oratoire du Louvre rwk.JPG, View of the church from

Rue de Rivoli Rue de Rivoli (; English: "Rivoli Street") is a street in central Paris, France. It is a commercial street whose shops include leading fashionable brands. It bears the name of Napoleon's early victory against the Austrian army, at the Battle of R ...

File:GASPARD COLIGNY-PARIS-Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram.jpg, Statue of Gaspard de Coligny

References

Sources

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Oratoire Buildings and structures in the 1st arrondissement of Paris