A brief, yet incomplete history





View from the alter

Like most villages in France, we have a small church.  It’s not regularly used any more, and it has a somewhat documented history.  I say somewhat because there’s a lot of gaps in the found information.  The church, St. Étienne de Sofrunys, was first noted in the 13^th century, but the building stood before that; it was a chateau and little is known about when or why it was turned into a church.

Marbled archway around the door

The building is traditional Roman architecture with an archway around the door made from pink marble, but marble is not locally found.  This raises the question as to how the marble made its way to the village.  Was it a rich baron who brought it for his chateau or a generous donation to the church centuries ago?  This is the type of information missing; information about its construction and its origins that cannot be found.

It’s not too clear either when the last priest left the village, and thus probably the last regular use of the church.  There is a presbytery, or priest’s apartment attached to the church, but old inhabitants of the village remember it as a school.  If it was converted into a school, there was no priest, but if there were enough children to fill a classroom, why did the priest not stay?  There should have been enough people to fill the pews too.

Alter and alter scren

After the French Revolution, all churches and their contents became the property of the local government.  It is the community’s responsibility to upkeep the building, but it is the Catholic Church that determines what goes on inside.  Certainly, at the time, the Church didn’t like that idea, but it was probably for the better.  There is no way the French Catholic Church could financially assume the responsibility of all the churches today.  Ours has an alter screen build around 1665 that is classified as a historical monument, which I doubt would be on the Church’s priority list if it was its responsibility.  Symbolically and literally, this contract is upheld by who has the keys.  Our church has two: one held by the dioceses and the other by the mayor.

Try carrying that in your pocket.