Our Lady of the Sea
Rue de l'Eglise
62176 Camiers-Sainte-Cécile
Church | XX | First Reconstruction | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 June - 30 September
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri
Sat 9.00 - 17.00
Sun 9.00 - 17.00
Religious offices
Mass
or leonce-paroisse@orange.fr
Description
Camiers is situated in the centre of the Natural Reserve of the Canche, on the edge of the immense beaches of the Cote d’Opale, and benefits from this exceptional patrimony.
The church of Our Lady of the Sea has followed two older churches. The actual church was inaugurated in 1914. The porch opens under the church steeple, with a rounded arch opening, above which the tympant has a trompe-l’oeil decor of Christ surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists, and which, while seeming to be mosaic, is in reality painted. Inside the church the nave of five divisions has two chapels which form the transept, and ends with a three-sided sanctuary and an axial chapel.
During WW1 an English hospital was set up in Camiers, and the soldiers who frequented the church assiduously offered two stained glass windows, to Saint George and Saint Patrick. Between the wars the veterans of the ‘Machine Gun Corps’ offered a third (Saint Genevieve) in memory of their comrades who had fallen between 1914 and 1918.
Photos
Remarkable elements
The stained glass windows
The stained glass windows are dominated by several representations dedicated to Mary, including the Annunciation and the Assumption, donated by families from Camiers. Other windows were donated by the British army during the Great War, but these were destroyed in 1944. The uniform style of the current windows brings a certain unity to the whole.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Christ on the Cross
Hanging on the wall of the south transept, it is surprisingly realistic in its depiction of his beard and hair. The arrangement of the thorns in the crown suggests that it is transforming into a royal crown. Christ's mouth is slightly open, as if he is calling out to us...
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
The banners
Recently restored by the town, they symbolise the faith and lives of the men and women of this area. The subject matter is closely related to fishing, as shown by the banner dedicated to Saint Peter, patron saint of fishermen. Another is dedicated to Our Lady of the Sea, depicted standing in a fishing boat. These early 20th-century banners were only displayed during religious events or when the building was open to visitors.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
The high altar and side altars
The high altar, installed at the back of the apse in 1919, is of the same design as the side altars installed in 1925. On the high altar, the tabernacle door is a true masterpiece in bronze decorated with blue glass cabochons. The dentils of the altarpiece draw the eye towards the tabernacle and the representation of the Virgin Mary, which dominates the space. The white marble table rests on grey stone columns highlighted with gold cordons, an architectural feature that is also found on the side altars.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Mosaics
A key element in the building's decoration, mosaics are used in particular in the furnishings (high altar, ambo and side altars) and on the main façade above the entrance porch. The use of blue in the designs on the side altars refers to Mary, but also to water, symbolising the links between the Virgin Mary, sailors and water. Each design is different, but the whole is continuous and depicts a boat sailing on the water in one case and two peacocks drinking from the source of Life in the other. Outside, the mosaic depicts Christ teaching surrounded by the Tetramorph (a symbolic representation of the four evangelists: the angel for Saint Matthew, the bull for Saint Luke, the eagle for Saint John and the lion for Saint Mark).
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Saint Milfort
Milfort is a little-known saint. Originally from Scotland, he arrived in France in the 12th century to escape persecution and took refuge in La Bouvaque near Abbeville, where he was beheaded. However, the texts relating to his existence contradict each other. This polychrome wooden statue, probably from the old church, depicts the saint standing with his hands clasped, wearing a robe with gold trim. Among the other statues that adorn the building are Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, Saint Eloi and Our Lady of Boulogne.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
