France: Former Mayor Bequeaths His Fortune to the Church
He was astonished to learn that one of his predecessors, Jean-Claude Habrial, who had died a few weeks earlier, had expressed the wish to leave his entire fortune to his home village.
Habrial was mayor of Saint-Hilaire-La-Croix from 1995 to 2008 as an independent left-wing politician.
Single and without descendants, he bequeathed his entire fortune to the village of 368 inhabitants, including a house, land, apartments, life insurance and cash, an estate valued at between €600,000 and €800,000.
However, Habrial had included a crucial clause in his will: The money should be used for the restoration of the local church.
The church was built in the second half of the 12th century, at the crossroads between Romanesque and Gothic art.
It was built for the priory of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. The priory welcomed pilgrims and ensured their safety.
In 1678, the priory became the property of the Lazarist Fathers of Paris, who appointed the parish priest.
During the French Revolution, the priory's assets were stolen and sold as "national property". Only the church, which became the parish church, and the main building remained communal property.
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