THE CHURCH OF St CYR

History There were two churches when Fr. CHEVALIER took possession in 1872. He demolished the one that was nearest to the square in order to rebuild it in alignment with the first one. Only one pillar of the realignment was completed, that of St Peter. The other three are still unfinished. The side chapels close to the main altar date from the time of Fr. CHEVALIER. Opposite Fr. CHEVALIER's confessional there is a small niche where there was a statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. There is another statue in the chapel opposite the sacristy. It originally decorated the exterior of a house in Issoudun. Fr. DESSILLION brought it here in the 1970tys. There is a porch under the present bell tower where Fr. CHEVALIER placed a statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the statue which is now in the Sisters' chapel. St Cyr became the centre for the pilgrimages when the basilica was closed in 1880 during the first expulsion.

From the time of Fr. CHEVALIER

"In the interests of your Congregation and for the good of the town, I intend to entrust you with the direction of the parish of St Cyr. Perhaps one day the possession of this parish will be a plank of salvation for your Institute and your works". (Archbishop de la Tour d'Auvergne)
It was because Fr. CHEVALIER was parish priest of Issoudun that he was able to remain in Issoudun. (The expulsions were only for religious.)

Fr. CHEVALIER's Faith Journey.

When confronted with criticism from priests in the neighbouring parishes, the Vicar General, Archbishop Marchal (1880-1892), declared : "I am forced to admit that the parish of Issoudun is among the best in the diocese for organization, the children's knowledge etc'. The Vicar General stated that at Issoudun things were done in much the same way that he had done them when he was parish priest. He would like to come himself sometime to preside over the advanced catechism lessons. He was astonished and delighted to see the body of the Church of St Cyr filled with the youth of both sexes. Also, later on during his pastoral visits, Archbishop Marchal used to cite Issoudun as an example for the organization of catechetics." (Cuskelly, p 249).

How does this inspire us today ?

- Are churches just mere monuments for us to visit, or, are they places where we really believe that the Lord dwells and the Holy Spirit breathes forth life ?