The emergence of specialized sports federations after World War I did not seem to pose any problems for the FGSPF, unlike the USFSA, which disappeared from the national scene.

In 1891, Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum novarum legitimized and strengthened Catholic parish patronages,[P 1] which established a tradition of running, ball games, stilts, and later gymnastics for nearly a century.

The second competition, held in June of the following year in Ivry and attended by 1,200 gymnasts, including participants from the North, Le Havre, and Reims, was graced by the presence of Albert Mun.

[5] This institution is dedicated to apostolic, hygienic, and patriotic goals, in line with the ideas of prominent physiologists such as Claude Bernard, Étienne Marey, and Paul Bert, following the aftermath of the French defeat in 1870.

Minister Paul Bert assigns it the task of bridging the gap of several years between students leaving compulsory primary school at 13 and their military incorporation.

[P 3] Gathered from October 25 to 28, 1903, at the Catholic Institute of Paris, the central commission of the patronages of France, then chaired by Dr. Michaux himself, expresses -the wish "that in each region, directors should agree to organize regional or departmental unions of gymnastics and sports societies" and "that the training of members of our Catholic patronages be so manly and strongly Christian that, if necessary, they can participate in gymnastics competitions organized by other societies, even non-denominational ones.

[M 2] The federation relocated to its first premises at 5 Place Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin on July 15,[H 2] with Léon Lamoureux assuming administrative responsibilities on November 14,[7] later joined by Charles Simon.

[J 3] However, gymnastics continued to provide an avenue for Catholics to participate in patriotic events, with large competitions attracting associations from various provinces to Paris.

The turning point came in 1908[M 3] when hostility from authorities and other federations towards associations that had participated in gymnastics competitions in Rome in 1906,[J 4] in response to the pope's invitation, led to a surge in membership in the FGSPF.

[T 2] In September 1904, Father Deschamps' troops escorted Émile Combes, President of the Council, to the Auxerre train station with fanfare,[P 4] causing annoyance.

[J 5] The competition in Roubaix on July 11, 1911, attracted 50,000 spectators and 8,000 gymnasts, but also faced opposition from 3,000 anti-clerical protesters, requiring 400 gendarmes to be reinforced by two squadrons of dragoons and two police brigades.

The conquest of this sector proved laborious, as it had already been largely prospected by the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA) for over 20 years, as the story of Father Henri Didon and his Albert-le-Grand d'Arcueil institute testifies.

[LJ 1] Despite the challenges, the FGSPF continued its activities, and Paul Michaux successfully organized the first post-war competition in a major city restored to France: 7,000 gymnasts from across the country gathered in Metz on August 4, 1919.

The majority of French sports groups, including many patronages and religious school establishments, have long been affiliated with the USFSA, which has specialized commissions for each discipline.

While its leaders are passionate about football-rugby, they have been more hesitant towards association football, which is already popular among professional athletes in the UK but is also widely practiced in the courtyards of presbyteries.

[T 3] The new Federation of Catholic Gymnastics Societies could no longer ignore this sport, as it was mentioned in its January 1900 bulletin[J 10] and initial meetings were organized the following year.

[J 1] It then organized its own FGSPF Football Championship in the following year, which lasted for ten seasons before being interrupted by the war and eventually faded away in favor of the creation of the Charles Simon Cup in 1917.

[J 12] The new memberships were not without motive: the USFSA, after a dramatic exit from the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) in 1908, promptly aligned with the CFI, which became France's sole representative organization.

The CFI was officially renamed the French Football Federation (FFF)[H 5] on April 7, 1919, with Jules Rimet as president and Henri Delaunay as general secretary.

[15] After welcoming and integrating the Elsaessicher Turnerbund (ETB) on May 15, 1919, the organization of Catholic gymnastics societies in Alsace, which then took the name Avant-garde du Rhin[16] (AGR), the FGSPF celebrated victory on July 25, 1920, with a grand competition in Metz, the hometown of Paul Michaux, now French again.

The Spartiates d'Oran, the best club in Algeria, were crowned champions of the French Union in 1949 after beating the military team of France and the Sports Association of Villeurbanne Éveil lyonnais (ASVEL).

[J 19] The same approach was taken with holiday camps, which saw growth with the introduction of paid vacations in 1922 and initiatives by Marc Sangnier (1873–1950) in establishing Youth Hostels (AJ) from 1929, as well as local scout troops affiliated with the patronages.

The initiative began in 1924 with the Seine-et-Oise regional union, and in 1929, the FGSPF expanded the program to Strasbourg, followed by Royan in 1930,[J 20] and the Joinville Higher School in 1935 for the first federal monitors' training course.

[G 12] Despite the economic crisis, 70 associations with 3,500 gymnasts and musicians from Bouches-du-Rhône, Alsace, Seine, Rhône, Aquitaine, and Maine-et-Loire[20] participated in a grand federal competition.

[21] Recognized as a cornerstone of popular education and deemed of public utility by the decree of March 31, 1932,[22] the FGSPF receives support from the Catholic hierarchy[23] but faces challenges during wartime.

[J 27][J 28] The Occupation of France divided the country, leading to the Lyon regional union, led by Dr. Exaltier, becoming the focal point of the FGSPF in the free zone.

With a few exceptions such as boxing, fencing, cycling, rowing, and the new mechanical sports,[P 5] single-sport federations truly emerged only twenty years earlier, after 1919,[P 6] and sometimes laboriously so.

Despite the advancements in football, basketball, cross-country, and athletics, the essence of popular sports activity lies in large gymnastics gatherings, which is the primary focus of this federation.

Its execution is a part of the ranking of gymnastics competitions, and each section must perform it outdoors in a deployed order, marking time in place before proceeding to ensemble exercises,[T 9] often in the early morning dew.

[J 32] This small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) is tasked with providing sports supplies and equipment (such as clothing, balls, and gymnastics apparatus) to the headquarters services and members.