Eglise de L'Étoile de Mer

(in English:  Church of the “Star of the Sea”, a title given to the Virgin Mary as protector of seafarers)

by:  Mary Elizabeth Vance, Erica Scoggins, Robert Wallace, Ernad Selimagic, Matthew Zaloba, Amanda Zelenak

v Our church is both an abbey church and a pilgrimage church.

v It houses the Holy Crown of Jesus Christ, a sacred relic purchased by King Louis IX from King Baldwin II of Constantinople in the early 1200s.  The Crown is stored in a reliquary before the altar of the church.

v The church also includes a convent of the Dominican order, commonly called the Jacobin order by the French.  The order was founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III in France in 1216.

LOCATION

v Located in Calais, France, a fishing village and center of trade off the Coast of Normandy

v Calais rests upon a large cliff near the English Channel. Because of its location, it was a prominent center for trade in the 12^th century and beyond, as there are many harbors and ports in the area.

v Our church stands near the edge of these cliffs.  The external setting of the church contributes to the viewer’s experience of it as a place of majesty and divine power, and it inspires these viewers to praise the God who created such scenery.

COMMUNITY

v Our church owns a hospital to accommodate those that live in the growing town and those that are seafaring traders with the city. 

v A Dominican convent is also associated with the church, and the nuns who reside there operate the hospital.

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS and their FUNCTIONS

v Pointed arches in the design elements of the church made construction of vaulted ceilings possible—an element used to counter the pressure and weight of the high ceilings.  This also meant that thick walls were not necessary to support the roof, and allowed the walls of the church to be thin and marked by beautiful stained glass windows.  The high ceilings made possible by these pointed arches inspired the humble visitors of Calais and gave them a sense of divine beauty that juxtaposed the harsh work and struggles of each person’s earthly existence.

v Additionally, flying buttresses allowed the roof to be raised, giving the church extra height that evoked a divine experience for the poor villagers who came to the church seeking to rest in in the presence of the Lord after hard days of work at sea and at their various other trades.  Piers support the buttresses, and are made sturdy by pinnacles and finials that weight the piers to the earth.

v We also chose to have a narrow nave so that the ceiling would appear even higher.  This feature also means less ceiling and fewer supports needed to reinforce that ceiling.

v We included large columns for extra support and to evoke grandeur.

v The stained glass windows depicting Mary and her journeys serve to honor the Virgin.  Windows showing scenes of Jesus performing healing miracles serve as an empowering encouragement to those seek cure for various ailments at the church’s hospital, as well as to those whose family members are ill.

v The church is dedicated to Mary, the Star of the Sea, and includes sculptural depictions of her, as well as images of Jesus calming storms and walking on water.  These elements give peace to the many villagers whose trades involve the sea, and honor their humble professions in the process.

EXPENSES

v During the Gothic Age, the church had a position that overlapped the duties of the state.  Therefore, it was involved in military endeavors.  The Crusades were taking place during much of the building period of our church—plus, our city was a major port for commercial and military vessels alike—and money was needed for these pursuits.  Due to these issues, funds were cut. 

v However, Calais was wealthy from its flourishing fishing industry and its lucrative trade of tin, lead, cloth, and wool.  Calais also acquired many building materials through trade.  Thus, the city was able to fund the building of the church.

v In addition to this, pilgrims travelling to see the Crown of Thorns stimulated the city’s businesses, and many of them moved to the town, buying real estate and further enriching Calais’ economy.