STATUE OF THE CHURCH OF SOFIA IN PARIS

On each side, the Menorah with seven branches given by the Skultuna factory in 1900 symbolizing the deep connection between the New Testament and the Old Testament, the church and the synagogue, the altar and the Temple of Jerusalem.
The statue is by John Börjeson completed in 1879. The artist was influenced by the prevailing piety of the time in France of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Around the choir, a verse from Matthew (11:28): "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". The original model being the neoclassical statue of Thorvaldsen at Notre Dame Cathedral (Frue Kirke) in Copenhagen.

This monumental statue of Christ blessing, calling the Spirit upon his disciples before sending them on a mission, was created for the first church of the Swedish parish of Paris, boulevard d'Ornano.

Peter, also known as Simon, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He was a fisherman from Galilee before becoming a disciple of Jesus. According to the Gospels, he was one of Jesus' closest companions and was often called "the rock", kephas (Peter in French) by Jesus, who entrusted him with the foundation of his Church. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Peter preached in Rome and established a Christian community there. He is also credited with writing two canonical letters in the New Testament, the epistles of Peter.

According to tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under the Emperor Nero, but it is also said that he was executed by being crucified upside down because he considered it unworthy to die in the same manner as his master. Peter is considered one of the founders of the Christian Church and the first pope of the Catholic Church. He is one of the most important figures in Christian history, and his life is well documented in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles of the Bible.

Eric of Sweden was a medieval Swedish king who reigned from around 1120 to 1150.
He was the son of Inge the Elder, who ruled Sweden from around 1080 to 1125.
Eric was a Christian leader and is credited with spreading Christianity in Sweden.
He is also known for his military campaigns, including his conquest of Norway.
Eric's reign was marked by a period of relative peace and stability, and he is considered one of the most powerful and successful kings in Swedish history.
He was assassinated in 1150, the circumstances of his death are uncertain but it is said to have been a political assassination.
He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1167.
He is celebrated every May 18.

Ansgar was born in Ireland in the early 8th century and studied at the Abbey of Clonard in Ireland, which was an important center of learning at the time. He then traveled on a mission to Germany, where he founded the church of Hamburg and began converting pagans during the time of Charlemagne. He also founded a theological school in Hamburg that became famous for training many priests and bishops. He is celebrated on December 3rd. He is often considered one of the founders of Christian Germany and is considered a martyr. Ansgar was also a prolific writer, he is best known for his work "Metrica" or "Liber de octo vitiis et virtutibus" which is a treatise on vices and virtues, it is considered one of the earliest examples of moral theology in German. He is also known for writing sermons, letters, and poems. Ansgar is also known as the Apostle of Sweden because he played a crucial role in the Christianization of Sweden in the 9th century. He founded the church of Birka and the cathedral of Sigtuna. He also translated religious texts into Swedish to make the understanding of the Christian religion easier for the people of Sweden. He is considered the founder of the Church in Sweden.

Olaus Petri, also known as Olaus Petri Nyckel, was a Swedish pastor, preacher, and reformer born in 1493. He was the twin brother of Laurentius Petri, who became the Archbishop of Uppsala. Olaus Petri studied at the University of Wittenberg, where he was influenced by the ideas of the Protestant Reformation.
He then returned to Sweden and began preaching religious reform in the Swedish countryside. He also translated the Bible into Swedish, which helped popularize Protestant ideas among the local population. In 1529, Olaus Petri and Laurentius Petri organized the first Protestant synod in Sweden, which led to the creation of the Swedish Lutheran Church. Olaus Petri also contributed to the drafting of the first version of the Swedish Confession of Faith, which was adopted by the Swedish Lutheran Church in 1593.
In addition to his religious work, Olaus Petri was also an advocate for freedom of the press and freedom of expression. He wrote several books on religious and social subjects of his time, some of which were banned by religious and political authorities.
Olaus Petri died in 1552. He is considered one of the leading figures of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden and a symbol of religious freedom and freedom of expression. He is honored as a national hero in Sweden.

A crucifix is a Christian religious symbol that represents the crucifixion of Jesus. It is usually made up of a cross on which a representation of Jesus is fixed, usually made of wood or metal. It is used as an object of personal devotion or as decoration in churches and places of worship. It can also be worn as jewelry or a medallion. The word "crucifix" comes from the Latin "cruci fixus" which means "fixed to the cross".
Crucifixes are commonly used in Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant (Lutheran and Anglican) churches. A crucifix essentially takes the form of a Latin cross, with the vertical bar elongated downwards and short at the top, and may bear in this upper part the acronym INRI, acronym of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. A statuette or image of Jesus is fixed to the cross, showing nails in his hands and feet and a wound in his right side, in reference to the accounts of the Passion.

Martin Luther said of Mary: "Mary teaches us, by the example of her experience and by words, how we should recognize, love, and praise God" (The Magnificat, p. 38-39).
Mary is an important biblical figure. Heir to the great female figures in the Old Testament like Sarah, mother of Isaac, or Anne, mother of Samuel, Mary discovers that God makes possible what was previously unimaginable. And if Mary takes root in the history of salvation through her initial "yes" to the announcement of the angel Gabriel, her journey is punctuated by various "yes" of trust that weave her life. Like this sung, poetic "yes" of the Magnificat, "yes" to God who has done wonders for her, "yes" to this God who takes the side of the weakest against the powerful. Or this silent "yes" in the face of the adoration of kings even as the myrrh brought, used for embalming the dead, casts a threatening shadow over the life of the newborn. Or this other "yes," at the wedding feast of Cana, a mother's yes: "yes, my son will help you," this "yes" that will overcome Jesus' reluctance and launch his ministry.
Martin Luther allows us not to idealize Mary but to love her for what she can tell us about the fragility of the disciple, the weakness of his faith, but also his perseverance. For, at the foot of the Cross, we find this Jewish and courageous woman who once again accepts to be a mother and to become the matriarch of the people of Jesus' disciples.

Gudmar Olovson was born in 1936 in Boden, Sweden.

From 1955 to 1959, he attended sculpture classes at the Royal Academy of Stockholm, and then, thanks to a scholarship, he settled in Paris in 1960.

Passionate about the works of Honoré Daumier, Aristide Maillol, Auguste Renoir, or Auguste Rodin, he decided to stay in France, without forgetting his Nordic roots.

He frequented the masters of independent sculpture: Paul Cornet, Jean Carton, Gunnar Nilsson, who were his studio neighbors, or Jean Osouf

The hands, oriented downward - and not upward - express all the trust of the believer who receives from God all things before asking him for them.