ST. ELIZABETH'S CHURCH

At the corner of Rue de Lannoy and rue Henri Lefebvre, this is the perfect place for the whole majesty of its Romano-Byzantine style… the beautiful church Sainte-Élisabeth, named in memory of the Hôpital Sainte-Elisabeth founded by Isabeau de Roubaix. This church is a perfect example of urban planning in the th century where whole neighbourhoods built and organized around a church. In 1858, a rich widow donated land to the municipality, which decided to erect a church, a rectory and schools. Inaugurated in 1863, the church will become the point of reference and departure of a neighbourhood developed partly thanks to Alfred Motte, the brother of Louis (the same one who erected the imposing Usine Motte-Bossut), which wants to develop industrial activity there. The neighborhood is going to grow very rapidly and the church is going to become increasingly important to become a real parish. With bricks and symmetry outside, the church contains real works of art, beginning with the Grand Organ inaugurated in 1897. But it is probably the Master Altar of White Marble that attracts the most eye. And just at the bottom of the altar is a bench of communion, also in white marble, and bearing an inscription in gold letters "In memory of Mr Alfred Motte-Grimonprez". This bench is a gift from Alfred Motte's widow. This gift is nothing surprising and refers to an incident at the funeral of the industrial. There were so many people that the wooden bench did not resist and broke! With its square tower, the Church of St. Elisabeth has imposed its presence over the years and remains an essential landmark in the neighbourhood.