65 years after the reconstruction of its church, the beautiful gesture of this village in Orne

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Rebuilt in the late 1950sthe church of Saint-Pierre-du-Regard (Orne) is the work of the Flérien architect Pierre Meurice. Father Cousin, for his part, was appointed, in 1953, auxiliary priest of the village, to rebuild the parish.

A plaque in honor of these two actors in the reconstruction was unveiled in the church.

The priest of reconstruction

A plaque now adorns the entrance to the building, to the left of the key of Saint-Pierre, “it pays tribute to the two men who rebuilt this church in 1959 : Abbé Cousin and the architect Pierre Meurice”, explains Michèle Guichetau, mayor of the town.

Following the death of Father Cousin last April, at the age of 100she adds that it was “important to honor his memory, he is the priest of the reconstruction of this church”.

His family came in large numbers to participate in this tribute.

A project that was close to his heart

The architect's son Pierre Meurice, Michel Meurice, residing in Brittany, who was unable to be present for the occasion, had sent a message, read by the mayor:

I am very sensitive to the tribute paid to my father, who was very attached to the project of rebuilding this church, which he wanted to be free of any artifice.

During the party organized for 50 years of the churchMichel Meurice, already affirmed “that the project of this church was without a doubt the one in which his father had given the most, which was most close to his heart”.

His son also remembers the presence of the two artists who are at the origin of sculptures and stained glass windows of the new building. Jean Lambert-Rucki and Jean Weinbaum stayed with the Meurice family in Flers during the reconstruction work.

His attachment to the building was such that “the architect was buried in 1981, near the churchin the Saint-Pierre-du-Regard cemetery,” adds Michèle Guichetau.

Tribute to Father Cousin

Father André Cousin was appointed auxiliary priest at Saint-Pierre in 1953, “he was afraid of arriving in a parish where everything had to be rebuilt », explains Father Michel Renault. “Close to the working world, in the Vère and Noireau valley, he was very busy with this human community where he kept good friends.”

In August 1959, a year after the blessing of the new church of Saint-Pierre, he was appointed priest of Courteillewhere his mission will be to rebuild a parish center in this district of Alençon.

Died at the age of 100, “He defined himself as the priest of alland said he was happy in all the ministers who were entrusted to him,” reports Father Renault.

Commemorations of November 11

At the end of the religious service, Norbert Delozier, master of ceremonies and president of the veterans section, led commemorations of November 11, 1918. The laying of wreaths preceded the reading of the letter from General Hervé Longuet of the National Union of Veterans.

The mayor of the town, Michèle Guichetau, then read the message from the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, and the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans, Jean-Louis Thieriot.

The ceremony continued with the reading of the list of soldiers who died for France inscribed on the monument and the singing of the Marseillaise.

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