The Symbolic Creatures of Sacré-Cœur

Creatures of all kinds are carved into the inside and outside of the church, and none of them is there without a reason. See how many you can spot among the great organ and the stained glass.

The lamb stands for the pure, gentle one who gave his life to save others. A fish recalls the one who fed the endlessly hungry. The pelican represents someone who gave of his own body and blood, an image that comes from the old belief that pelicans really fed their young with their own flesh. The phoenix, rising again from the ashes, signifies the Resurrection of Jesus. The hen symbolizes God's motherly love for people in danger, and the eagle God's protection over people's journey. The rooster recalls Peter's three denials of Jesus, and the deer stands for the search for God in prayer. Among the other creatures in the apse is a tiny snail, a reminder that every living thing was made to bless God. Outside, an exiled pig appears as a gargoyle, an animal said to represent the evil inclinations of the people Jesus came to purify.