Church of Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle

The parish of Saint Maurice, which extended from the Pont Jean to the Col de Bussang, is one of the oldest parishes in the Vosges mountains. First known as Visentine, it took the name of Saint Morise (Maurice) at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century. We know nothing about the place of worship that was the centre of the parish of Visentine and then Saint Maurice. The first mention of a priest dates back to the Remiremont abbey and suggests that, from that time on, a church served the Haute Moselle. In 1663, the church was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt with limited means because of the long wars of the century, but suffered the same fate in 1701, as did the school built nearby. The new church, dedicated to Saint Maurice and his martyred companions, was officially inaugurated on 5 July 1725 by the Bishop and Count of Toul. With its 350 seats, the church was too small for a population of 1,750 inhabitants. Therefore, the village entrusted the study of a project for a new building to the architect Perron de Remiremont in 1863. He presented a church with 3 ogival naves and a capacity of 1,075 seats, at an estimated cost of 140,000 francs. The location of the old cemetery was chosen. The work was awarded on 10 April 1866. The painted stained glass windows, ordered in 1867, are the work of Thiriat, a glass painter from Metz. The War of 1870 delayed the installation of the bells. It was only on 31 August 1875 that the bell founder Robert Hartmann undertook to deliver a perfect ring with 4 bells weighing 4,500 kg in total. The organs were offered by generous donators. The clock dates back to 15 August 1883.