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Reformed Church of Nice

The witnesses of Jesus Christ evoked by the author of the letter to Hebrews are foreigners and travelers on land looking for a better homeland. Could the same be said about the actors of the history of the Reformed tradition in Nice?
History shows that the Gospel under the aspects identified and highlighted by the Reformation was preached in Nice, in modern times by foreigners: Americans and Europeans from the North enjoying the charms of the French Riviera, Waldensians from the valleys of Piedmont in the Alps, and French Swiss attracted by Nice and its area.
The Waldensians were the first to consider the building of a church inaugurated in 1857. The U.S. Episcopal Church to build theirs in 1886. The French bought a building in which they made a church in 1902. The economic development and influx of people led to the closure of the Waldensian Church in 1939 and that of the American Church, after the departure of the U.S. fleet. In 1974The Reformed Church came to boulevard Victor Hugo.

THE TIME OF WALDESINANS
In 1860, when Nice was reunited to France, there were among county people nationals from other countries. All were not Catholics. They were Waldensians from Piedmont, whose origins date back from the 1st century when Pierre VALDO’s movement, "The Poor of Lyon" spread across Europe.
After various adventures (persecution, exile, tolerance) King Charles Albert acknowledged that they had the right to exercise of civil rights (February 17, 1848) and to practice other religions than Catholicism. A number of Vaudois lived in Nice and worked in hotels or tourism. The Table Vaudoise in Torre Pelice sent them a pastor and they were allowed to build a church in Gioffredo Street, which was opened in 1857. _ The French or Italian Waldensians met French or English works of evangelization. Suddenly it was difficult to relate to a solid union of churches; the role of men, especially that of Pastor Leo PILATTE, became predominant.
In 1895 The Table Vaudoise cut the position of the Italian pastor. Services were celebrated in the Vaud church, sometimes in French, sometimes in Italian.
In July 1939 the church was sold and parishioners were invited to relate to the Evangelical Reformed Church. Despite their small number they were a strong and dedicated group that helped to strengthen ties between the ERF of Nice and the Protestants from the valleys of Piedmont and Genoa.

THE REFORMED CHURCH

After years of common and parallel life the Waldensians, the French speaking reformed, went through the following steps in 1900-1902: establishment of a committee of officials, parish organization, and purchase of a worshiping location. As for Waldesians in 1850, things were conducted briskly, promptly, quickly and efficiently.

In 1902, Protestants, in Dubouchage Boulevard, purchased a building which had been used as the Stock Exchange of the Sardinian State and as an art gallery. Despite the tragic events of two world wars, the Reformed Church of Nice, related first to the Evangelical Reformed Churches and, after 1938, to the ERF, continued their work with one, two and three pastors in a period of growth for the city and its tourism development. The Dubouchage Boulevard building caused serious problems of maintenance and management. That is why in the 70s, having learned the decision of the Episcopal American Church to close its church in Nice, the church board decided to raise the funds to purchase the "Holy Spirit" Church as well as the presbytery in Victor Hugo Boulevard and sold the Dubouchage Boulevard property. In 1974, thanks to the benevolent assistance of the city of Nice, the Protestant reformed parish moved in Victor Hugo Boulevard. Le Centre Protestant de Rencontres (Protestant meeting centre) was built in Maccarani Street for parish and diaconal activities. In the 80s, worshiping halls were opened in the North and West of the city.

At the end of the 90s, the building of the Centre Protestant de l’Ouest (CPO) in Sainte Marguerite Avenue gave a new tool of witnessing in the valley of Var.

mise en ligne le Tuesday 9 September 2008