Lisieux, France
Basilica of Sainte-Thérèse of Lisieux
Image: Wikimedia Commons
On a hill overlooking Lisieux, in Normandy, this imposing neo-Byzantine basilica honours Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the young Carmelite of the Little Way, who died there in 1897 and was canonized in 1925. Inspired by the Sacré-Cœur of Montmartre, it was begun in 1929, consecrated in 1954, and its interior is entirely covered in mosaics; one of the largest churches built in the twentieth century, it makes Lisieux the second pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes. John Paul II prayed there on 2 June 1980, and in 1997 he declared Thérèse a Doctor of the Church.
- Address
- 1 Av. Jean XXIII, 14100 Lisieux, France