Eglise Saint-Jacques et Saint-Philippe

Crozet's 15th-century history mentions pastoral visits, which suggests that a church already existed at that time. At the beginning of the 19th century, a small church stood on the present site, requiring repairs. In the 1820s, it was decided to completely rebuild it. The town council finally decided to demolish the building and rebuild a new, larger church on the same site. Saint Pierre Chanel, Crozet's young parish priest from 1828-1831, was involved in the negotiations surrounding this reconstruction, but did not see the work begin (1833). The church was completed in 1834, when the present high altar was commissioned. In 1878 and 1881, the church roof and vault were rebuilt, and further repairs were undertaken in 1951, with the participation of the Geneva Scouts. A major overhaul of the roof and vault took place in the early 1990s. In 1985, the parish committee and the small Crozet choir decided to purchase an organ. This was the beginning of a 23-year story full of twists and turns. A group of motivated people began to think about acquiring an instrument to replace the old harmonium, which had served its purpose well for many years. It was a time when electronic organs were spreading everywhere, but the parish committee was not convinced by their quality, so the question was asked: why not a traditional pipe organ? Folly! some retorted, while others began their quest, documenting their findings thoroughly and persistently. Having visited Bernard Aubertin in his workshop in Courtefontaine, the few parishioners who made the trip returned convinced, their heads full of dreams, but appalled by the cost of building an organ. The parish committee decided to start working on fund-raising, as it was highly unlikely that any subsidies would be forthcoming. And so began the famous bake sales, honored by many Crozatis, particularly on the occasion of St. Hubert's Day, the 3rd Sunday in October.Further visits were made to Courtefontaine, and a first organ project was proposed by Bernard Aubertin in March 1990. Over time, it became clear to the parish community that the Crozet church deserved such an instrument, to commemorate all those who had worked to build and maintain it, to leave a legacy for future generations, and to embellish celebrations and give glory to God with dignity. The parish committee had gradually built up a small nest-egg when, in 1993, it became essential to refurbish the church. The municipality had to undertake very costly work on the roof and vault, and the parish association had to cover the costs. The organ project was therefore put on hold... but the parish association continued to work, for several years. The organ was no longer talked about, but dreamed about - in silenc