Tomb of Saint Genevieve at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
The Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a church beside the Pantheon in the city of Paris. The to-be-built Pantheon was supposed to house the relics of the patron saint of Paris Saint Genevieve which are in the the nearby church Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Fate intervened and that French revolution happened and the move never took place. Saint Genevieve lived in the seventh century, and was a consecrated virgin and dedicated her life to the service of God. It is said that Saint Genevieve’s prayers help protect the city of Paris from the attack of the Huns. Additionally, she got the Frankish King Clovis I favor and treated the people with care.
Remains of Saint Genevieve at Tomb of Saint Genevieve at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
She set up an abbey in this area and eventually was also buried here which she passed away. This church then was used to house all relics from her. The church would be expanded over the years to the size we see now. Unfortunately, a fire would destroy most of the relics and all that remains is the tomb. The tomb actually looks more like a treasure chest, and in a sense it is a treasure. One can’t see the contents of the tomb but I’m not sure I would want to. The remains, after all, are 1400 years old. Looking a this place, I thought that this place was a rather low key place to house the relics of someone who was a pivotal figure in the early history of France. She is the patron saint of France, I thought she would have deserved a better spot.
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