Christ the King Church at Les Mangles

Monument - Petit-Canal

Damage to the town church by the hurricane of 1928, and the desire of many parishioners for a more centralized place of worship, led to the construction of this second religious edifice in Petit-Canal. It was dedicated in 1934 to Christ the King, Pope Pius XI having added the Feast of Christ the King to the liturgical calendar in 1933 to elevate the importance of Christ in Catholic worship. The façade is notable for its depiction of the Archangel Gabriel, the blue Delft porcelain scene of the Annunciation, and the “Attollite portas” phrase from Psalm 29:  Attollite portas, principes, vestras - Et elevamini, portae aeternales - Et introibit Rex gloriae (“Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in”).