On 5 November 1955, the church suffered a major fire and several priceless works of Breton art were lost, including the altarpiece on the main altar dating to 1670 and the altarpieces by Lespaignol dedicated to Saint Mériadec and Saint Elizabeth dating to 1723. A rood screen ("poutre de gloire") dating to 1571 was also lost. This building is part of the enclos and dates to between 1562 and 1572. It served as the residence of the governor of the Chapelle saint-Jean-Baptiste. It is recorded that in around 1418 a young man from Plougasnou, possibly an archer, was shown what was said to be the index finger of John the Baptist and became devoted to it. The finger was kept in the church of Saint-Jean-de-Daye. The finger had been given by the Patriarch of Jerusalem to Saint Tècle at the time of the crusades and the saint had had the church of Saint-Jean-de-Daye built. The young archer had caused the relic to be brought to Brittany and the Duke, Jean V, presented a reliquary to hold the finger to a chapel in Saint-Jean-du-Doigt dedicated to Saint Mériadec. Over the succeeding years so many pilgrims visited the chapel that it was decided to replace the chapel with a larger church. Thus was born the Eglise Saint Jean-Baptiste in Saint-Jean-du-Doigt.