Marian devotion
Tangier · Morocco · French Church of the International Zone
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and Holy Joan of Arc is a Catholic temple of Tangier also known as the French church, Sainte-Marie-Jeanne or Église des Sables. It should not be confused with the cathedral of the city, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit.
Origin of the French church
The project was born to serve the French community of the former Tangier International Zone. The fund-raising began years before the construction and the new church rose between 1949 and 1953. The inventories of the French Diplomatic Archives keep records of the parish, the plans of the new church and its opening in November 1953.
The name Église des Sables - church of the Sands - recalls an earlier wooden chapel linked to the community. In December 1953 the finished temple was dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and to Holy Joan of Arc.
Architecture and artistic heritage
The building belongs to the religious and urban landscape of the international Tangier of the 20th century. Its architectural language is associated with the art déco and stands out for its large glass surfaces. These were performed by Charles Plessard throughout the 1950s. The outer Marian sculpture is attributed to Albert Navarra.
These elements should be seen as a heritage of a particular community and also as a witness to the cultural diversity that characterized Tangier. The page does not attribute to the building a property declaration dated 2016 until the relevant official Moroccan order is incorporated.
The Invocation of the Assumption
The Assumption expresses the Catholic faith in which Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was brought in body and soul to the glory of heaven. The universal Church celebrates this solemnity on August 15. The Marian dedication of the temple is complete with that of Saint Joan of Arc, a figure especially significant to the French community that promoted its construction.
Documented facts and limits
There is no known Marian apparition linked to the temple. There are also no historical events of alleged multitudinary processions, a special protection of navigators or a cathedral function, statements that appeared in earlier versions without documentary support.
Sources
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