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A little geography
“Le Reculet is the2nd highest peak in the Jura massif, after Crêt de la Neige. It reaches an altitude of 1719m. It lies to the south-west of the Crêt de la Neige and to the north-west of Geneva in the commune of Thoiry.
You've probably already climbed it, but do you know the story of its cross?
Its history
“In 1892, the bitter memory of the dark years of the French Revolution was still fresh. The country had been humiliated by the defeat at Sedan. Catholics had great difficulty rallying to a Republic that claimed to be ‘secular’…”Father Rousset, parish priest of Thoiry.
Against this backdrop, the parish priest, Abbé Monnet, proposed erecting a cross on the summit of Le Reculet as a strong and lasting sign of his Christian faith, and launched a subscription campaign, which at the time cost 1,500 francs.
The Way of the Cross
François Nallet, a blacksmith, began making the cross on 6 July.
Four porters volunteered to carry the 1,600 kilogram work on their backs from the village to the summit! Nothing less. The four brave porters were: Faustin Antonioli, Aimé Fusier, Auguste and Louis Girod. Well done to them! 💪
The site of the cross was donated by Madame Veuve Félix Perréal d’Allemogne. It was dug and concreted by Emile Ecuvillon, François Guillemin and Auguste Carry.
Opening
Ten metres high, including 1.50 m of earth, the iron Reculet Cross is made up of 2,800 rivets. It was erected and sealed on 4 August.
Then, on Sunday 7 August 1892, Bishop Louis Joseph Luçon of the diocese presided over the blessing of the Cross at a ceremony attended by almost 3,000 people.
For the hundredth anniversary of the Cross, on 27 July 1992, a committee was formed to draw up a programme. The programme included a mass, the laying of a plaque, a country-style meal and a musical performance by the Echo du Reculet.
A postcard was then issued. A commemorative stamp was affixed for three months to mail leaving Thoiry.
Pilgrimage
Every year since 1892, the Thoiry / Saint-Jean-de-Gonville parish association has organised a mass at the foot of the Croix du Reculet towards the end of July. It is always well attended by the faithful and hikers from the Pays de Gex and the Valserine Valley.
Anecdote
At Thoiry cemetery, on the grave of François Nallet, the blacksmith who made the Reculet cross, you will find a miniature version of the Reculet cross. Rest in peace François.
Thematics
