The first chapel, where Abbรฉ Joseph Micรฉu (1796-1877), mostly known for his Niรงoise grammar in 1840, officiated, was located in Place Galvano, today Colonel Jean Pierre Square.
This building dedicated to Saint Stephen quickly proved too small due to the growth of this neighborhood. In 1902, Canon Maubert acquired land to build a church. The architects Febvres and Deporta designed the plans. This initial project had to be abandoned due to the nature of the land, which consisted of damp and unstable watercress fields. The foundation work strained the budget, and they had to settle for a more modest construction, which was blessed in 1908.
After the death of Canon Maubert in 1923, his successor, Canon Ciamin, took up the project; he expanded the church with two lateral naves in 1929. Four years later, the vault of the central nave above the high altar was added. The porch was completed, along with the characteristic bell tower with its roof of red and yellow tiles. With the war, the work was interrupted.
In 1948, the very elderly Canon Ciamin was assisted by Father Dominique Cauvin, who continued the embellishment work with the apse, the transept, and the sacristy. The fresco depicting the martyrdom of Saint Stephen dates from 1958. This church, restored in the early 21st century, was consecrated in May 2013.
Thierry Jan
