Essonne (pronounced: [ɛ.sɔn]) is a French department in the region of Île-de-France. It is named after the Essonne River.
It was formed on 1 January 1968 when Seine-et-Oise was split into smaller departments.
Évry Cathedral (Cathédrale de la Résurrection d'Évry) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the new town of Évry in France.
The Diocese of Corbeil or Corbeil-Essonnes was created in 1966, and the parish church of Saint-Spire was elevated to the status of the bishop's seat as Corbeil Cathedral, but neither it nor any other of the existing churches was suitable in size and location, and the bishop's offices were in a converted primary school. Évry was the natural centre of the area and population of the new diocese, and was accordingly chosen as the episcopal centre - the diocese was renamed in 1988 the Diocese of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes - but entirely lacked any suitable structure.
Évry Cathedral, to be dedicated to Saint Corbinian, was therefore specially commissioned from the Swiss architect Mario Botta. It is the only purpose-built cathedral in France of the 20th century. Construction began in 1992 and the building was opened to the public on 11 April 1995, dedicated on Easter Day 1996, and visited by Pope John-Paul II on 22 August 1997. It has now superseded Corbeil Cathedral.