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The church of Saint-Sébastien in Villeneuve d'Ascq dominates the Place de la République in the Annappes district. Before merging with the market towns of Ascq and Flers in the last century, the village of Annappes had a long history. From a royal domain called ‘Asnapio’ under Charlemagne, the territory passed to the Counts of Flanders and became a seigneury elevated to a county by the Archdukes Albert and Isabelle in the 17th century.

The church of Saint-Sébastien bears witness to this history since the 13th century, although texts mention the church of Annappes as far back as the 11th century. Students at Besançon University have carried out a dendrochronological analysis of the church's roof structure, dating it to 1291. The original ceiling is now obscured by a vault installed in 1929.

The church was originally built without a bell tower, in white limestone with a sandstone base. The church was enlarged in the 18th century to take on its current appearance in Lezennes stone, based on a hall-church plan with three naves of equal size.

The church is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the Roman martyr and patron saint of archers, in homage to the relic of Saint Sebastian entrusted to the archers' brotherhood founded in 1517.