History
The church stands in the crossing of the old Roman running north and south, the present day rue Saint Martin and the east-west axes, traced today by la the rue de la Verrerie and the rue Saint-Honoré.

It derives its name from the fact that in the 8h century the abbot Medericus, from the great abbey of Autun, came to Paris on pilgrimage, stayed here and later died here. During the last Norman siege of Paris in 884, Medericus, also known as Merry, was acclaimed patron Saint of the right bank.

On the rue Saint Martin there still remains one window of a previous church built in the early 13th century. The parish priest of this earlier church was Jean Beaupere, one of Joan of Arc's judges. In the late 13th century, bankers from Lombardy set up their foreign exchange operations in the rue des Lombards.

Saint Merri counted among parishioners Edmund of Abingdon, who was to become archbishop of Canterbury and the great Boccacio, born in 1313.The present church was built between 1500and 1550. It has is the plan of the church: it displays an original feature which it shares with Notre Dame, having a choir and nave of the same length. That is why the church was called "Notre Dame la petite" (the little).

The second is the addition of a wide size aisle on the south side. The style is 16th century gothic. The windows and vault of the transept crossing reflect the influence of the English perpendicular style and the overall impression of the interior is one of great restraint fuzzed into an architectural unity which was unusual in Paris at this time. In the 18th century, the choir was dressed with marble in accordance with the taste of this period, as in Notre Dame.

It was embellished by the Slodtz brothers, the best known sculptors of the time. During the same time, the architect Boffrand planned the large chapel called "the communion chapel" (used today as an exhibition hall).The reassertion of the curved line in the dome of the chapel is one of the hallmarks of Baroque art in which the dome symbolises the vault of heaven, radiating God's light. The message of this essentially Gothic architecture which highlights its windows in that of the evangelist John: "God is light".

The interior decoration also illustrates the favourite themes which came in with the spiritual renewal of the early 17th, where beauty is considered one of the paths by which one can approach the Creator, as greater importance is given to the Eucharist.

Oeuvres d'art

• the nave windows belong to the beginning of the 16th century. The most striking ones are those on the south side above the the first two arches. The first one tells the life of Saint Nicolas of Myre, the second the life of Saint Agnes

• The eight bays of the choir and transept were installed around 1540; they are attributed of Pinaigrier. The pane in the right transept illustrates tour donors belonging to the family of Etienne Marcel, a prosperous merchant. The next three panes in the choir tell the story of Saint Peter's ministry. On the other side, the windows on the north side of the choir tell the story of Saint Joseph in Egypt.

• The pulpil in the nave was carved by P.A. Slodtz in 1753.

• Above the altar of the left transept, there is a painting by Simon Vouet (1640), showing Saint Merri selling prisoners free.

• On the vaults of the third chapel in he left ambulatory, there is a fresco by Chasseriau in 1843, depicting Sainte Mary the Egyptian.

• The heavily gilded glory above the main altar in the choir by M.A. Slodtz (1758), is a sun surrounded by a circle of Angeles: "I'm the light of the world and the life (John IX,5-XIV,6)

• The altar at the entrance of the choir, on the right, is presided by a blue virgin by Carl Van Loo (1765).

• The communion chapel, opening on the right aside, has 2 very beautiful bas reliefs by the Slodtz brothers; one angel holds a Bible, the other a chalice. There is a painting above the alter by Charles Coypel, showing the pilgrims of Emmaüs.
  
• The reception area on the right of the main porch is enclosed by a wooden Renaissance screen; it was brought here from the ancient chapel of the Judge Consuls (the forerunner of the Tribunal of Commerce).
• The great organs were reconstructed in 1781 by the famous organ maker, Cliquot. Nicolas le Begue and Camille Saint Saens both played there. The organ case dates back to the 17th century.
• The bell below on the west front houses is the oldest in Paris, cast in 1331. It survived destruction at the Revolution.

The chruch of Saint Merri today
Today the church is the home of the the parish and the Halles-Beaubourg Pastoral Center (CPHB).

Responsibility for the extensive activities of the center is shared by a team of priests and lay men and women. They try to make Saint Merri a meeting place that offers information, helpful advice and counsel where needed.

Exhibitions found attention on Man' hopes and anxieties and seek to express what God has to say to man. They are prepared by groups of laypeople and displayed in the church throughout the year.

A team of volunteers ensures that a member of the Saint Merry community is in the church every afternoon to meet and welcome passers by.
Another team organises free concerts of all kinds of music in the church. There are held on Saturdays at 9 pm and Sundays at the 4 pm.

Every Sundays at 11.15 a, the community that has grown up around the CPHB comes together to celebrate a mass in which members of the community play is a leading part.

Mindful of international problems and the defence of Human Rights, the pastoral center has, over the years, built up close contacts with other Christian communities in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Efforts are made to meet, understand and support oppressed foreigners and to share with understanding their concerns, their struggles, their hopes and their prayers.

Reflecting the throbbing modernity of the neighbour, the Pompidou center, the CPHB strives to interpret Christian faith in terms of today's world, through a variety of workshops, meetings and debates.

The CPHB is open to new ideas and suggestions.