The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is known throughout the world as a charity organization…read morededicated to helping the poor and is the largest Catholic organization in the world. The Cathedral named after him was close to our hotel, so we took a walk on a wet Tuesday morning. It is very imposing, being visible alone amongst the far smaller buildings near the Gare du Nord. Once we climbed the front steps, we found an open door to the side that we could enter. The first thing you notice are the high ceilings that you would expect in a cathedral. We spent a few minutes examining the church and took a moment for quiet reflection.

We happened upon this gorgeous Gothic Roman Catholic church and went in to check it out ,,, i…read morethought it was was gorgeous inside and out. The church's external features include some fine gargoyles and flying buttresses. Its bells include the oldest one remaining in Paris, cast in 1412; their ringing is recalled in a well known poem in praise of Paris by Alan Seeger. There is a flamboyant rose window above the west entrance. The large Gothic portal under the bell tower was transferred from the church of St-Pierre-aux-boeufs which was demolished to create a new street. Its relief depicts St. Martin dividing his cloak You could tell it was very old especially some of the paintings were so dark from age. Internal features of the church include both ancient stained glass and a set of seven modern windows Loved the colorful stained glass windows. We looked around a bit and and i was able to take some non flash pics. There was a man inside that was yelling at people .. I assume he was a homeless person of questionable mental state .. we tried to keep our distance from him. We are not Catholic but i enjoy the architecture and the art of their cathedrals .. the stained glass .. organs, Gothic architecture and so many interesting details.

Saint Séverin was apparently the patron of this church and was a 6th century hermit who lived on…read morethe site. It is believed that he died in 540 AD. This a very ancient and very Gothic catholic church. It was built in the 12th century. It has a lot of beautiful art and statuary and history. There is a renovation project planned and they are soliciting donations. This church probably won't be part of the French government's plan to update churches like Notre Dame is. There are gargoyles adorning the outside of the Church and one can see quite a bit of deterioration of the stone both inside and out. It would be amazing if all the paintings inside were individually lit and a modern lighting system were installed as it is quite dark inside and it is hard to appreciate its beauty. The transepts are enormous. Its always nice to see a church open during the day for either prayer or sightseeing

Not a business this is one of the four great synagogues of Paris. Extremely well guarded and…read morerealistically protected.

My Great Grandfather ( Woolf Friedberg ) married here in 1879 ? (5639 on the Ketouba). We think he…read morecame from Russia via Austria ( Vienna ) and then settled in London and became a naturalised British Citizen. We don't know why he married in Paris as there were many Synagogues in East London. Could the couple have been on their way to London as immigrants ? It is fortunate for all of his descendants that he made the decision to continue his journey. I have the rather battered Ketouba, all in Hebrew . The registration number on the document is either 353 or 1353. Woolf Friedberg's son, my Grandfather , Barnett Friedberg, was born not long after the wedding, in East London. He became a Fleet Street journalist and had seven children. He has many descendants both here in England and in France where I lived for several years and where my brother and his family now live. This is the first time I've looked up the synagogue on the internet. What a beautiful place and how new it must have been when they married !

Beautiful Roman Catholic Church open during the day even if there is not a mass. The church is next…read moreto the Pantheon, the building that the United States Capital Building was modeled after. You do not have to be Roman Catholic to attend a mass or come in during the day to see the church.