Manglieu 1
Jean, parish priest
From one church to another
Manglieu once had two churches: the abbey church of Saint-Sébastien and the church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which remained the parish church for a long time. Following the abolition of the abbey at the end of the 18th century, the church of Saint-Sébastien became the parish church.
Sold and converted into a dwelling during the Revolution, the small sanctuary dedicated to Notre-Dame succumbed to a fire in 1966. However, the remains of the interior elevation of a medieval church can still be seen, and archaeological excavations have shown that it was the successor to two other sanctuaries, one of which was built in the Carolingian period and the older probably in the early 8th century.
A 19th-century country priest
In 1896, Jean was 73 years old. He had been the priest of Manglieu since 1881. He lived in the parish house with Benoît, his new curate, and the faithful Jeanne, his maid.
From baptism to extreme unction, he was present at all the important stages of the villagers’ lives, and his days were full. As well as administering the sacraments, celebrating masses, training vicars, and dealing with the bishop’s office, he also sat on the parish council alongside the mayor to look after the upkeep of the church’s buildings and property.
Image captions
- Mass exit at the turn of the 20th century in a rural Auvergne commune