Saving France’s Catholic heritage.
One statue at a time.
Young French volunteers are restoring statues of Christ, Mary, and the saints. Help them preserve the faith and beauty entrusted to their villages.
Part of our villages.
Part of our faith.
Worth passing on.
Across France, statues of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints have watched over daily life for generations. Families raised the money. Craftsmen shaped them. Neighbors cared for them.
These works of sacred art are expressions of faith, familiar landmarks, and witnesses to the history of French villages.
But rain, frost, rust, and years without maintenance take their toll. Paint flakes. Cracks spread. Too often, there is nobody to make the repairs.
Without someone to care for it, this inheritance can simply disappear.
“Someone has to roll up their sleeves.”
Raphaël Castex, co-founder · Interview with The Pillar
A new generation, working with its hands.
Rénove Une Statue began in France in 2024 with a simple conviction: if we want this heritage to survive, we have to take care of it.
Our young volunteers bring tools, time, and practical skills to villages across France. We work with parishes, municipalities, and owners to restore the statues entrusted to their care.
For us, faith takes shape in action: cleaning a weathered surface, repairing damage, and bringing beauty back to a place people call home.
The difference
you can see.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Cotignac · Var
AFTER
BEFOREMadonna and Child
Puygiron · Drôme
AFTER
BEFOREThe Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saint-Pierre-du-Chemin · Vendée
AFTER
BEFOREVirgin Mary
Puygiron · Drôme
AFTER
BEFOREPhotographs document the same statues before and after restoration. Some views differ in angle and framing. Photos: Rénove Une Statue.
One motorcycle.
One month.
A country’s inheritance.
In August 2026, our co-founder Raphaël Castex set out across France with his tools and a motorcycle. Over a month, the tour brought restoration work to around 20 statues.
Local residents opened their doors, shared meals, and helped along the way. Village by village, the journey showed what happens when someone is willing to get to work.
From a weathered statue
to a living inheritance.
Someone notices.
A resident reports a statue in need of care, or a volunteer spots it.
We make contact.
We talk with the parish, municipality, or owner before any work begins.
We assess its needs.
We inspect the material and damage, seeking professional advice when needed.
We get to work.
Volunteers clean, repair, and repaint where appropriate, using suitable materials.
A village sees it again.
The statue stays part of local life, cared for and ready to be passed on.
Help us restore
the next statue.
Your donation puts materials and tools in the hands of young volunteers. It helps them reach French villages and build new local restoration teams.
- Materials to clean, repair, and protect
- Tools and equipment for work on site
- Travel to communities across France
- Support for new local volunteer teams
Every restoration leaves something visible behind.
Make a lasting difference.
Support the work of Rénove Une Statue, a French nonprofit recognized as serving the public interest.
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About our French nonprofit status
Rénove Une Statue is recognized as serving the public interest in France (intérêt général). We issue French tax receipts. Eligible French taxpayers may receive a 66% income-tax reduction, subject to French rules and limits. This French tax benefit does not establish U.S. tax deductibility; no U.S. deduction is promised.
An ocean away.
A part of the work.
You may live thousands of miles from a small French village. Your generosity can still help preserve a statue that its families have known for generations.
When you support this work from America, you help young volunteers care for France’s Christian heritage—and leave it standing for the people who come after us.
Thank you for helping us carry it forward.
