July - Devotion to Our Lady

DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH OF JUMIEGES, NORMANDY, FRANCE 1067

The Benedictine abbey of Jumieges in Normandy has an ancient and remarkable history. Founded in the year 654 by Saint Philibert, it was once one of the magnificent Benedictine monasteries in France, and the home of some 700 monks with over twice that number of lay brothers. Sadly, it is now nothing more than a tourist attraction, and the vestiges of the surviving structures, though vacant, scarred, and exposed to the elements, are celebrated as a magnificent example of Romanesque art.

All that remains standing today are the church of Notre Dame with its impressive twin towers soaring to a height of 150 feet, the western façade, and sections of what were once the cloisters and library. The rest is but a pile of rubble, though it is proudly proclaimed the largest medieval ruin in France. Victor Hugo notably christened it “the most beautiful ruin in France,” but one is left to wonder how it once appeared when the Catholic faith was still vibrant and alive in France.

Located a little west of Rouen along a bend in the Lower Seine, it was vulnerable to the attacks of the Vikings in the ninth and tenth centuries. During one invasion it was set on fire and pillaged of its wealth. It was soon lovingly rebuilt, however, by the Duke of Normandy, and the Church of Jumieges was consecrated by Maurice, the Archbishop of Rouen, in the year 1067. William the Conqueror attended the dedication of the Church of Jumieges and the subsequent celebrations.

Larger and more beautiful than ever before, the abbey once again became wealthy and influential. A center of learning, it was famed for its Scriptorium where monks worked diligently coping and illustrating manuscripts by hand.

The errors of Martin Luther came to France, as they did to all of Christendom, followed by the usual looting of churches. The destruction was widespread and the abbey of Jumieges was not spared. When the French Revolution came along the monastery was finished, and only the imposing ruins of what had once been a thriving community was left in its wake. In 1793 the whole was sold at auction and mined as a stone quarry. The chancel, with its marble altar, and the lantern tower were intentionally blown up, and the rest was subject to the deprivations of vandals.

What remained was rescued in the year 1852 by the Lepel-Cointet family. A lodge was built, and the rest landscaped and made into a park before being sold to the State in the year 1946. The church is not open, but one can walk about the ruins and imagine the glory that once was.

FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF OUR LADY, INSTITUTED IN 1385 BY POPE URBAN IV

Mary’s first thought after the Archangel’s visit was to hasten to the little city of Ain Kharin and congratulate her cousin Elizabeth on the wonderful event about to take place. As Mary hastened along, those who met her little realized that she bore the Son of God – outwardly humble, sweet, and gracious to all.

So the little girl from Nazareth passed unobserved upon her way. But as she raised her voice in loving salutation to Elizabeth, when entering the house, a marvelous thing happened, for the unborn infant in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy as he heard the voice of God’s Mother sounding in his ears. Elizabeth, stricken with amazement, cried out:

“Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.”

In that instant Elizabeth knew that she was standing in the presence of God; knew that the little girl standing before her was God’s Mother; knew all that had taken place at Nazareth; knew of Mary’s fiat.

Then Mary lifted up her voice in high thanksgiving and gave forth the marvelous canticle:

“My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from Generation unto generations, to them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy: As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.”

In this Magnificat of the humble little girl of Nazareth there is an intense personal note; she sees why it is that she is exalted – her humility. She prophesies as well as she sings, and foretells her future glory. Then she tells that God’s mercy follows those that fear Him; she sings of God’s might; she returns to the thought of God’s mercy, and with this mercy in mind, the little virgin ends her triumphant song.

For three months Mary and Elizabeth rejoiced in each other's company and gave thanks to God for all the wonderful mercy He had bestowed on them – one, the mother of the Herald of God, the other, the Mother of God Himself. Yet these months saw nothing outwardly extraordinary; it was just the quiet outwardly ordinary daily round, such as might be seen in any family.

After those three months the Virgin set out on her way home to Nazareth, and her return was as little noted as her going. She came full of joy and she returned full of joy, for no hint of coming sorrow cast a shadow upon her.

This Feast of the Visitation of Our Lady was instituted by Urban IV, in the year 1385, and confirmed by Boniface IX, in the year 1389.

OUR LADY OF LA CAROLLE, PARIS (1418)

Roadside shrines can still be seen in places all over Europe, though it is nothing like it used to be in the Middle Ages when these shrines were extremely prevalent. They were public reminders of God and his saints, and were meant for the good of the general public who would come upon the shrine and pause for a moment to pray. They could be simple or somewhat elaborate, ranging from unadorned crosses to free standing towers or even small chapels.

According to tradition, on 3 July in the year 1418, a Swiss soldier committed a sacrilege upon a statue of the Blessed Virgin known as Our Lady of la Carolle, or Our Lady of Carole. It was located at the corner of the Rue aux Ours, which was built in the 13th century, and terminated at the hospital of Saint John, which is no longer in existence. The Rue aux Ours is now a short street that begins at Rue Saint-Martin and ends at the Boulevard Sebastopol in Paris, France.

It is said that the Swiss soldier came upon the shrine of the Blessed Virgin after having left a tavern. He was probably intoxicated when he drew his sword and repeatedly struck the statue of the Blessed Virgin with the weapon for no known reason. The statue of Our Lady of Carole then began to bleed profusely, as if made of flesh and blood, and wounded by the blows.

The citizens who had observed the sacrilege were outraged, and followed the soldier as he fled from the scene of his crime. The man was eventually caught and apprehended, and then brought before the Chancellor where he was sentenced to death for the outrage.

In remembrance of this incident, and in expiation for the crime, there was a popular festival that took place on the Rue aux Ours every year. There were fireworks, and a wax figure representing the sacrilegious wretch who had struck the image of the Blessed Virgin was set ablaze. This festival continued until the French Revolution brought an end to the traditional observance.

OUR LADY OF MIRACLES, AVIGNON, FRANCE,
BUILT BY POPE JOHN XXII 14TH CENTURY

Tradition holds that on the 24th of March, in the year 1320, two criminals were condemned to be burned to death for their crimes. One of them, a youth, called on the Blessed Virgin Mary. After invoking her name he stood in the flames and remained unhurt, while the other was entirely consumed.

Pope John XXII was made aware of what had happened, and recognized the miracle, and directed that a chapel known as Our Lady of Miracles should be built at the execution site. During the French Revolution the chapel was seized as state property, and then sold. The church has now been made into an apartment building “conducive to meditation and contemplation.”

As Saint Alphonsus Liguori states so well in “The Glories of Mary:”

“How great then should be our confidence in this queen, knowing how powerful she is with God, and at the same time how rich and full of mercy; so much so that there is no one on earth who does not share in the mercies and favors of Mary! This the blessed Virgin herself revealed to Saint Bridget:”

“I am,” she said to her, “the queen of heaven and the mother of mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion; for everyone, if he receives nothing else through by intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be; no one, therefore,” she added, “who is not entirely accursed, is so entirely cast off by God that he may not return and enjoy His mercy if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the mother of mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them…Therefore he shall be miserable in another life, who in this, being able, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.”

DEDICATION OF OUR LADY OF CAMBRAY, ARRAS, FRANCE 1472

In the year 1472, the statue in the shrine of Our Lady of Cambrai was dedicated by Peter de Ranchicourt, the Bishop of Arras. The statue at the shrine is known as Notre Dame de Grace et Cambrai, or Our Lady of Grace at Cambray, and is a famous and popular image of the Blessed Virgin. It depicts Mary standing atop a globe, with her hands down at her sides so that grace can fall from her fingertips upon her children.

There is also a miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin holding her Divine Infant in a tender embrace. The image is said to have come to Cambray from Rome in about 1440, and it is ascribed to Saint Luke the Apostle. This icon is also known as Our Lady of Grace, and is considered the patroness of Cambray. The icon was crowned in the year 1894, and is proudly taken through the streets of Cambray in procession on the eve of the Assumption each year.

This church was first built in honor of Our Lady in the year 524. This first church was reduced to ruins by the Normans in the year 882. A few years later it was rebuilt by Dossilon, twenty-first Bishop of Arras, in the year 890. After having been burnt again in the years 1064 and 1148, it was rebuilt later in the same century. During the French Revolution that church was destroyed, although the abbey church was allowed to stand because it was profaned and used as a Temple or Reason by the unreasoning. The present structure was built during the years 1696 to 1703 upon the site of the former church. This church was also damaged by fire in 1859, was restored and consecrated in 1894, and was severely damaged during World War I, and again in World War II.

The Paix des Dames, or the Women’s Peace that ended the war between Spain and France in the year 1529, was signed at Cambray on the 5th of August. The cathedral is now a national monument. As at so many of her shrines, Our Lady of Cambray here also bestowed graces and favors and miraculous answers to prayers upon her devotees.

OUR LADY D’IRON, DUNOIS, FRANCE (1631)

The village of Saint-Sulpice-le-Dunois is a small village located near the center of France. Once home to Our Lady D’Iron, it is situated near the larger town of Blois, its population was only 517 citizens in the year 2007, which was a decrease from the 636 citizens who had lived there in 1999. It was in the chapel of this tiny village of Saint-Sulpice-le-Dunois, in the year 1631, that our story takes place involving Our Lady D’Iron.

There was a young French couple living in the village at that time who felt themselves singularly blessed. Were they not fortunate? They took pleasure in their youth and enjoyed good health, had gainful employment, owned a modest home, and they had recently been blessed with a fine baby whom they felt was as sweet as the Babe of Bethlehem. Thus they mused on their way home together after early morning Mass one day.

As soon as they entered their home, Pierre hurried to the cradle to gaze lovingly at his infant son. The child must have been restless, he thought, as there was evidence that he had struggled with the bedclothes which were tossed about and tangled strangely about the infant. Pierre reached in and lifted his son to hold him in his arms, only to find that the tiny figure was rigid and cold. Stunned, he called for his wife disbelieving, for it seemed their baby was dead!

Pierre’s thoughts turned to Our Blessed Mother, and then to the statue of Our Lady D’Iron at the parish church. They had spent many hours there in the past praying for her assistance, and her help had never failed them. They determined to take their baby there instantly! Surely, Mary would not fail them in this time of dire need.

Together they entered the church, and sadly laid the lifeless form at the feet of the statue of Our Lady D’Iron. As they began to pray for her intercession, they dedicated their baby to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In that very instant, the child who had been smothered by struggling in its cradle, cried out and came back to life. News of the miracle spread far and wide, and the fame of Our Lady D'Iron was assured.

OUR LADY OF ARRAS, NETHERLANDS 1380

OUR LADY OF ARRAS OR HERTOGENBOSCH

The image known as the “Kind Mother” at Hertogenbosch, or “Our Sweet Lady” of Den Bosch, as she is also known in the north Brabant province of the Netherlands, was an object of derision when it was first heard of in 1380. It had been found dirty and damaged in a builder’s junk-yard, but it soon became celebrated for the wonders connected with it.

The statue of Our Sweet Lady is of oak is nearly four feet tall and is of an unusual pattern: Our Lady stands upright, while her forearms are extended at right angles to her body. The Child is balanced on her left hand and in her right she holds an apple.

The dedication of the new church of Our Lady of Arras occurred in the year 1484 by Bishop Peter de Ranchicourt, who was bishop of that city. The first church which had been built at the site had been constructed by Saint Vaast, who had been the Bishop of Arras, in the year 542, using the liberal donations of the first kings of France.

The desolation caused by the Calvinists began in 1566, and many churches were plundered. The Kind Mother was hidden and saved from the destruction. Years later, when the city was seized by the Spanish, two Carmelites took the statue to Bishop Ophovius, who gave it to one of the women of the parish to safeguard.

Eventually it was feared that the statue of the Kind Lady would not be safe if it stayed were it was, and so it was decided to take the statue to Brussels for safety. The statue had to be hidden to keep it safe, and so was placed in a chest and snuck out through the town gates. It was then taken to St Geradus’s church in Belgium before being taken to Koudenberg church in Brussels.

It wasn’t until the year 1810 when the cathedral at Den Bosch was returned to the Catholics by Napoleon. Then, it took the prolonged efforts of Bishop J. Zwijsen, the bishop of Hertogenbosh, to have the beloved statue of Our Sweet Lady returned to his cathedral in 1878. It was crowned by the grateful bishop in the name of Pope Leo XIII that same year, and the feast is July 7th with proper Mass and Office in certain places.

OUR LADY OF KAZAN, RUSSIA 1579

This miraculous icon, also known as the Theotokos of Kazan, is thought to have originated in Constantinople in the 13th century before it was taken to Russia. When the Turks took Kazan in 1438, the icon may have been hidden. Ivan the Terrible liberated Kazan in 1552, and the town was destroyed by fire in 1579.

The icon was eventually found in the ruins of a burnt-out house at Kazan on the River Volga on July 8th in 1579. According to tradition, the location of the icon was revealed during a dream by the Blessed Virgin Mary to a ten year old girl named Matrona. Matrona told the local bishop of her dream, but he did not believe her. There were two more similar dreams, after which Matrona and her mother went to the place indicated by the Blessed Virgin and dug in the ruins what had been a house until the uncovered the icon. It appeared untouched by the flames, with the colors as vivid and brilliant as if it were new.

The bishop took the icon to the Church of Saint Nicholas, and immediately there was a miracle of a blind man’s sight being restored to him. A monastery was built over the place where the icon had been found.

Known as the Holy Protectress of Russia, the icon was stolen on June 29th, 1904. The thieves were later caught and claimed that they had destroyed the icon after taking the gold frame and jewels attached to the image. In any event, the original has never been found, though there are many copies in existence, thanks to the popularity of the icon. Many of the copies are known to be miracle working.

The Russian peasantry attributes the rise of Communism in their country to the loss of the image of their heavenly protectress. There is a legend that a copy of the image of Our Lady of Kazan was taken in procession upon the fortifications of Leningrad to assist the defenders in defeating the Nazis during the Siege of Leningrad.

Before the revolution, perhaps still, sometimes a Russian mother would give a copy of this picture to her daughter at her wedding, as a blessing on her and her new home.

There is a Russian feast of Mary under this title as a commemoration of its founding on July 8th. There are many replicas of this picture, of which the best known was in the church of Our Lady of Kazan at Moscow.

The Byzantine chapel of the Oriental Institute at Rome is dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Kazan.

In 1993 a copy of the icon was given to Pope John Paul II, who kept it in his personal study before it was given to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004.

OUR LADY OF COUTANCES, FRANCE 1056

This feast day is commemorates the dedication of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Coutances, by Bishop Geoffry de Mombray, in the year 1056.

Coutances, once known as Cosedia, when it was the capital city of the powerful Unelles tribe, it was conquered by one of Julius Caesar’s generals in the year 58 BC. The city’s name was changed to Coutances in honor of the Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus. Due to its strategic location, it quickly rose to a place of great significance in the Empire.

According to tradition, the knowledge of salvation came to Coutances in the 5th century through Saint Ereptiolous. It is known that he built a church on the site where there had once been a pagan temple.

After the destruction of the Western Roman Empire, Coutances suffered from invasions by the Scandinavians and Normans in the 9th century. The church was razed and the city abandoned, and the bishop forced to flee for safety to Rouen. They did not go back to Coutances until nearly one hundred and sixty years later, when they returned with the assistance of Duke Richard the Fearless.

In the year 1030, Bishop Robert began the construction of a new cathedral, Our Lady of Coutances, which was begun in the Romanesque style. He died shortly after the labor of love had begun, and it was left to Bishop Geoffry de Mombray, who had been appointed in 1048. He completed the cathedral in the year 1056. Bishop Geoffry was a close companion to William, Duke of Normandy, and so invited him to attend the consecration of the cathedral that year. Ten years later, the bishop would accompany the Duke of Normandy to England, where William conquered the island and earned the title of William the Conqueror. A short time later he assisted Ealdred, the archbishop of York, at the coronation ceremony that took place in Westminster Abbey.

Bishop Geoffry came from a wealthy family, who generously gave to the prelate for the good of the Church, while also providing much of the funding for the cathedral. Before the bishop was finished with the construction, he had added two towers nearly 100 feet tall to the west end, and a central tower that was famed for its gilded rooster. Bishop Geoffry died of old age in the year 1093.

OUR LADY OF BOULOGNE SUR MER

In the year 636, a small group of people standing on the seashore witnessed a ship without oars or sails came into the harbor of Boulogne. It finally came to rest in the estuary, seemingly of its own accord. One of the witnesses boarded the boat and confirmed that there was no one aboard, and that the vessel had no rudder, oars or sails.

The ship, however, bore a statue of Our Lady. Taking hold of it to bring it to land, a voice was heard saying, "I choose your city as a place of grace." The citizens welcomed Mary to their city by erecting to her a shrine which reached its height of glory in the 12th Century.

King Henry VIII is reported to have stolen the statue of Our Lady of Boulogne and taken it to England. After many negotiations, the French managed to get it back. The image had been stolen and hidden many other times, but always saved and returned.

World War II almost completely destroyed the statue. In modern times, four exact replicas of Our Lady of Boulogne toured France for more than seven years as a symbol of French devotion to Mary. One of these was taken to Walsingham, England in 1948 and carried in procession by the “Cross-bearing pilgrimate” when many other statues and images of the Virgin visited England.

Boulogne was one of the most important Lady shrines of medieval France; among its noted pilgrims have been: Henry III, Edward II, the Black Prince, John of Gaunt.

Marian Feast Day, July 10th: The dedication of a new church built in honor of Our Lady of Boulogne was consecrated in the year 1469 by Bishop Chartier of Paris. The confraternity of Our Lady of Boulogne was so celebrated, that six French kings have chosen to belong to it.

At the French Revolution, the statue was burnt to ashes and the church pulled down. A new statue was made in 1803 and pilgrimages began again. The image represents the Mother with the Child in her arms, standing in a boat, with an angel on either side. At the Marian Congress in Boulogne in 1938, a custom began to take replicas of this statue “on turn” in France and abroad. A branch of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Compassion at Boulogne has been established for the reconciliation of the Church of England.

The sanctuary church at Boulogne was badly damaged during World War II, and Mary’s image smashed; but the return, the “Great Return” of one of the copies of the statue which had been sheltered at Lourdes, took place in 1943, and the occasion will long be remembered by lovers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is an ancient offshoot of this shrine at Boulogne-sur-Seine.

OUR LADY OF CLERY

In the legend of Saint Liphard de Meung, who lived in 550 AD, mention is made of the town of Clery, and of an oratory dedicated there to the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Clery.

In the year 1280, some laborers placed there a little statue of Our Lady, which they had one day met with under their ploughshare. This discovery made a sensation, and attracted the attention of the most illustrious noblemen of the time. Among these nobles, Simon de Melun, a great baron, who had accompanied King Saint Louis IX to Africa, and whom Philip the Fair elevated to the dignity of marshal of France, formed the intention of founding a collegiate church there, but death, which he gloriously met with at the siege of Courtray, prevented him from executing this pious project. It was his widow and son who made it their duty to accomplish.

After his victories in Flanders, Philip the Fair, who had prospered under the protection of Mary, was struck with the concourse of the faithful who repaired to Our Lady of Clery. He increased the number of the canons, and resolved to rebuild the church; but death, who defeats so many projects, religious as well as others, left him, in this respect, no other merit than his good intention.

The church, nevertheless, was begun in his reign, and continued, thanks to the munificence of his third son, Charles, Duke of Orleans. Philip of Valois, that noble prince, who said to his soldiers, in conquered countries, “Respect the churches!” caused that of Our Lady to be finished, which the English Salisbury pillaged during the celebrated siege of Orleans. King Louis XI, who would have new sleeves put to his old doublets, to wear them till they were threadbare, but who knew how to act his part as king, when he pleased, built the church of Clery. He donated to it 2,330 golden crowns, settled upon it great revenues, erected it into a royal chapel, and richly endowed its cannons.

This monument, the object of so many expenses, and so much care, was destroyed by a fire in 1472, as they had just finished covering it in. “The whole was set on fire and burnt,” says the chronicle of Louis XI; but the church was rebuilt anew under the inspection of the king’s secretary.

Louis XI, having recovered his health at Clery, and attributing his recovery to the Blessed Virgin, enriched its collegiate church with fresh donations, and had his tomb prepared in it. “He placed himself in it several times,” says one of his historians, “to see whether the place fitted his body, and was well proportioned to receive it after his death.” He was interred there, according to his desire. His wife, Charlotte of Savoy, was laid there near him sometime after.

The Calvinists, who no more respected the tombs of kings than the altars of saints, broke into pieces the statue of Louis XI, and violated his royal tomb for the sake of plunder. This tomb, reconstructed by King Louis XIII, was mutilated again during the Revolution, and restored by King Louis XVIII. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Clery, still reigns there, with the greatest fervor, in the ancient church of King Louis XI.

*from Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the History of Devotion to Her by Mathieu Orsini, translated from the French.

OUR LADY OF LURE, AVIGNON, FRANCE 1110

Sometime at the beginning of the 6th century, a priest from Orleans, France, named Donat, in search of solitude, made his way into the Alps. The mountain of Lure seemed to be the kind of place he was looking for; and with the approval of the Bishop of Sisteron, he settled there.

On the side of the mountain he built an oratory for which he himself made the statue of Our Lady, carving it from native stone. When after 32 years he died, having spent these years in penance and apostolic work, he was replaced by the Benedictines of Val-Benoit.

A chapel was built to replace the oratory which proved too small to accommodate the many pilgrims. When the Saracens invaded Provence the religious had to flee and so they hid the statue. Barbarians ravaged the country several times and the convent was destroyed.

About 1110 the countess Adelaide to whom the land of Lure belonged, gave the place of the original oratory to the Bishop of Sisteron. Several nobles aided in the work of restoring the monastery of Our Lady of Lure. The ancient statue was found and placed above the tomb of Saint Donat. The church became well known and pilgrimages were well attended. In 1318, Pope Jean XXII attached the shrine to Our Lady of Lure to the metropolitan area or see of Avignon. In 1481, Sixtus IV called back to Avignon the 12 canons at the shrine, and the church, badly cared for, fell to pieces in 1557.

For 80 years the place remained desolate. One day a shepherd, who was resting near the ruins, heard a voice saying, “Oh, how many graces I would give to men in this place, if my sanctuary were rebuilt.”

The ecclesiastics to whom he told his story took him seriously. The shrine was rebuilt, and the statue rescued from the debris, was placed on a new altar which was consecrated in 1637. Pilgrimages again flourished. During the French Revolution the chapel was pillaged and the statue mutilated. With the return of peace, pilgrims again came. On a number of occasions, Mary granted the miracle of an abundant rain to pilgrims that had come to seek this favor. The largest number of pilgrims were wont to come on Pentecost, the feast of the Assumption, and the Nativity of Our Lord.

OUR LADY OF CHARTRES

To Chartres belongs the distinction of being not only the oldest shrine in France, but also – in all probability – the oldest shrine of Our Lady in the world. It is actually pre-Christian, like the Athenians’ “altar to the unknown god” and was dedicated to the Virgin who would bring forth a son, at least a century before the birth of Christ. Later, it was a pilgrimage site due to a well located there, “the Well of Strong Saints,” for the bodies of many early Christian martyrs had been cast into that well. So Chartres was a site of pilgrimages long before the construction of the beautiful Gothic cathedral that now occupies the spot.

Eleven centuries later, 1140, Christians were returning from the first crusade with new Byzantine dignity added to their idea of the kind of art demanded for the veneration of royalty. In 1144 “men began to laden themselves with stone and wood…and drag them to the site of the church, the towers of which were then a-building. It was a spectacle the like of which he who has seen will never see again.” Rich and poor alike put their strength and their possessions into the work for Our Lady of Chartres.

The result is still standing, as strong as the moment it was consecrated in 1260 – an architectural marvel that makes men gape in admiration. Eric Gill listed the sight of it among the five most awe-filled moments of his life. It is not the first church built at the site, as there were at least five previous structures built there during the previous centuries.

Chartres is the court were Mary, Our Lady of Chartres, sits enthroned beside her Son, receiving her subjects, turning peasant pilgrims into lovers of the beautiful, turning crusty scholars, come to see about some detail, into romantic fools at her feet.

Mary sits above the southern door, crowned and robed and sceptered like an eastern empress; Christ sits above the central door, not as Judge but like Mary, a triumphant benevolent sovereign and long lean figures of kings, queens, saints and prophets stand with oriental dignity, lining the columns of the doorways like courtiers attendant on a king and a queen. The windows above depict the Passion of Christ. Mary enthroned and the Tree of Jesse – windows better than any made by a Byzantine genius.

This Cathedral of Notre Dame is probably the most beautiful Gothic church in the world; in its crypt is the shrine of Our Lady Underground, in the choir, a statue of Our Lady of the Pillar, a reputed garment of Mary’s, the Sancta Carmisa, is preserved in the treasury. This garment was acquired in 876, and is believed to be the tunic that the Blessed Virgin wore at the time of Christ’s birth. It is believed the garment was given to the church by Charlemagne. Kings and princes, popes and prelates, saints and sinners, thousands after thousands of ordinary people have come here on pilgrimages for seven hundred years. Miracle upon miracle has been the response to their faith, their confidence and their ardent prayers to Our Lady of Chartres.

OUR LADY OF THE BUSH, PORTUGAL (1118)

This image was seen in the middle of a burning bush, by a shepherd; Vasquez Perdigon, Bishop of Evora, caused to be built in this place, in the year 1403, a church and monastery, which was given to the monks of Saint Jerome.

The shrine of Our Lady at Evora, like so many others of the peninsula, concerns the statues hidden away at the time of the Moorish invasion.

During the years of the reconquest, a shepherd was pasturing his flocks on the site of a camp where Christians had stayed for a time in the earlier wars. He heard a sweet voice calling him and was attracted to a burning bush where amid the flames he saw a statue of Our Lady.

Our Lady of the Bush gave him two messages, one for himself and one for the bishop. The shepherd took the image down into the town to tell the Bishop. Then he returned to the field and set up for himself a small hermitage. He sold everything he had and built a tiny shrine for the statue there, and began public prayers to Mary as she had told him to do.

So many people joined in the devotions at the simple chapel that it soon became necessary to build a larger chapel. Several miracles added to the impetus of the pilgrimages and the Bishop had a large church and monastery built at the spot. The monks of Saint Jerome were called in to tend the shrine.

In 1458 King Alfonso V of Aragon, crusading against the Moors in what would be the last year of his life, made a promise to Our Lady to enrich the shrine if he were victorious. He won the battle, and in gratitude did much to enrich and popularize the shrine of Our Lady of the Bush. It is also interesting to note that he was a staunch supporter of the invincible Skanderbeg, providing him with men and materials as he saved Christendom fighting against the European invasions of the Turks.

OUR LADY OF MOLANUS, JERUSALEM (1099)

In the year 1099, the Christian armies arrived at Jerusalem, overjoyed that they had survived to reach their objective. Their joy turned nearly to despair, however, as they ran short of food and suffered greatly with a plague during the siege of the city.

The leaders of the crusade concluded that they could not win without courting the Divine Assistance. It was agreed by all that they should march together barefoot around the city while singing litanies to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This they did, as the Jews had done centuries before at Jericho, while praying, fasting, and giving alms. Eight days later Godfrey of Bouillon was the first to breach the walls and set foot in Jerusalem, which was then swiftly taken.

The Turks were finally defeated after what had been a long and difficult siege, and the First Crusade ended with a Christian victory. Now that the city was in Christian hands, the Crusaders desired that they should have a king for the new Kingdom of Jerusalem. The nobleman Raymond of Saint Gilles was offered the crown, but he refused, as it did not seem proper to him to be named king in that holy place. Next, Robert Courte-Heuse also refused. Finally, Godfrey of Bouillon, who had so distinguished himself in the taking of Jerusalem, was asked to accept the crown.

Godfrey of Bouillon was a good man, the son of Blessed Ida of Bouillon, whose father was the Duke Godfrey of Lorraine, himself a descendent of Blessed Charles the Great. Although Godfrey agreed to be made king, still, as they were about to crown him King of Jerusalem, Godfrey pushed aside the crown, saying, “I cannot wear a diadem in the place where my Lord wore a crown of thorns.” Instead, as he had prayed at Our Lady at Boulogne-sur-mer before leaving on the Crusade, he credited the Blessed Virgin Mary with the victory, and symbolically gave the crown to Our Lady of Molanus.

After the victory, clad in white garments, the crusaders expressed in solemn procession, hymns and prayers, their gratitude to the Mother of God for giving them this singular victory over the enemies of the Church. The annual celebration in remembrance of the victory occurred each July 15th with a Mass offered to Our Lady of Molanus. Formerly the feast of this event was celebrated with a double office and octave.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL, FEAST OF THE BROWN SCAPULAR (1251)

The feast of the Scapular; tradition says that Our Lady gave it, herself, about the year 1251, to the blessed Simon Stock, an Englishman; this devotion has since spread all over the world. The popes John XXII, Gregory XIII, Sixtus V, Gregory XIV, and Clement VIII, have granted indulgences to those who are of this confraternity.

Nine centuries before Christ the great prophet Elias went to the heights of Carmel to beg God to send rain after three and a half years of drought. In answer to his prayers Elias saw a small cloud rise out of the sea, a promise of the Immaculate Virgin mother whose Son would save mankind from the scourge of sin.

At the time of the Crusades there were hermits living on Mt. Carmel in imitation of Elias. In their midst was a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. To the medieval members of the Order, Mary was the Gracious Lady who protected them from danger, who won for them the favor of Christ, her Son.

The one gift that unites all Catholics to Our Blessed Lady of Mount Carmel is her scapular. The scapular was given to Saint Simon Stock, prior general of the Camelite Order, on July 16, 1251. Our Lady appeared to the Saint when there was great danger that her order would perish. The works of Saint Simon was the prayer, Flower of Carmel, still said daily by Carmelites:

“Flower of Carmel, Vine, Blossom-laden,
Splendor of Heaven, Childbearing maiden,
None equals thee.
O Mother benign who no man didst know,
On all Carmel’s children Thy favors bestow,
Star of the Sea.”

The Blessed Mother answered Simon’s prayers by giving him the scapular, telling him: “Receive this habit, this shall be a sign of salvation. Whosoever dies clothed in this shall not suffer eternal fire.”

Seven centuries have shown what a generous gift Our Mother gave us when she made for us the garment of her scapular. German Catholics call the scapular Mary’s “garment of grace.” Mary’s habit is a humble garment, simply two pieces of cloth joined by strings. Yet, we do not measure God’s gifts by ordinary standards. The very simplicity of the scapular is a lesson in modesty and purity. The Queen of Heaven has made the scapular the pledge of her protection, especially at the hour of death. Our mother has clothed us, her children, with her garment of choice. Wearing it, we show that we have dedicated ourselves completely to her service, and are reminded to imitate our Mother. The continual wearing of it is a prayer for Mary’s protection, a sign of our complete dependence on her.

The second promise Mary made is known as the Sabbatine Privilege – Saturday, because Our Lady promised scapular-wearers who perform certain additional acts in her honor prompt delivery from Purgatory, especially on the Saturday after death. We believe that God grants all graces through His Mother. Mary showed herself to Bernadette at Lourdes for the last time on July 16; in her last vision at Fatima, she appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. When we were enrolled in the scapular, the following prayer was said: “May Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, bless you whom he has been pleased to receive into the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. We beg her to crush the head of the ancient serpent in the hour of your death, and in the end obtain for you the palm and crown of your everlasting inheritance. Amen.”

OUR LADY OF CAMPITELLI, ITALY (524)

The sanctuary of Sancta Maria in Campitelli is one of the most celebrated of Rome. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is located on the Piazza di Campitelli in Rome, Italy.

There is venerated at the church a precious image that was transported from the portico of the palace of the Roman matron, Galla Patrizia Seveath, to whom the Virgin herself appeared on July 17, 524. The icon is on 25 centimeters high. Mention is made of the miraculous appearance by Pope Gregory the Great. The image is known as Our Lady in the Portico, or the Madonna del Portico.

The church where the icon was kept was known as Santa Galla Antiqua, and it used to be located just north of the Piazza Bocca della Verita and west of the Via Petroselli. The church was destroyed by Mussolini under pretext that the street should be widened.

In the year 1618 the congregation was transferred to a new church known as Santa Maria in Campitelli, and the new church was finished in 1667. The work of the shrine is that of the architect Rainaldi. The new edifice was erected by vote of the people in thanksgiving for the preservation of the city from the pestilence of 1656, and was designed in the Baroque style. There are tall columns on the façade of the church that were intended to include statues, although the statues were never completed as originally planned.

The icon of Our Lady of Campitelli is surrounded by an ornate shrine, and there is a stairway behind the display that allows a closer inspection of the famous icon. It is not open to the general public.

Many times the sacred image of Our Lady of Campitelli has been carried in procession through the streets of Rome – the people invoking Mary’s protection against pestilence, epidemics and earthquakes. This image is also invoked under the title of Our Lady of Security, and two feasts are commemorated in Mary’s honor: February second and July seventh.

OUR LADY OF VICTORY, AT TOLEDO, SPAIN (1212)

Our Lady of Victory commemorates the victory of Las Navas, where a signal victory was gained over the Moors by the courageous King Alfonso VIII, King of Castile. This feast day was mistakenly given in the text with the date of 1202, when it actually occurred in the year 1212. King Alfonso IX of Leon is also often cited, although it was actually his cousin, King Alfonso VIII of Castile, who carried this miraculous flag upon which there was a picture of Our Lady. There are many military historians who view this battle as one of the 50 most important battles in the history of the world.

At the battle of Las Navas the courageous King Alfonso VIII, King of Castile, faced a huge army of one quarter of a million Almohad warriors who had invaded Spain from Africa. Knights from all parts of Europe gathered in Toledo in response to Pope Innocent’s proclamation of a new crusade. Ten thousand knights and 100,000 foot soldiers, they were far more men than the city could ever hope to contain, and so they set up their colorful tents all about the city. It was the most powerful Christian army ever assembled during the whole of the Reconquest up until that time, yet it paled in comparison to the Islamic host they sought to engage.

On the day of battle, the Almohad army had drawn up at Las Navas in a massive square. They faced the Christians behind a front rank wielding long spears to keep the cavalry from breaking their line. The second rank carried both spears and javelins to support the front line while still being capable of attacking with the longer ranged weapon. Next came the slingers to hurl stones at the armored knights, and finally came archers, protected by all the ranks that stood before them. Their leader, Miramamolin, had boasted that “he was strong enough to fight against all who adored the sign of the cross.”

King Alfonso remained with his reserves, and with him were the knights of the military orders. The valor of these knights was legendary, for they were skilled fighters who engaged the enemy caring little whether they lived or died. Their concern was only for the salvation of their souls, the honor of Christendom, and the greater glory of God. Above their heads floated the royal banner of Castile, and upon it an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding her infant Son in her lap. The banner had been given to King Alfonso after an apparition in which Our Lady had appeared to a sacristan at the Marian shrine of Rocamadour, ordering him to deliver the banner to the Castilian king. The sacristan had done so joyfully, and now that banner was held aloft near another banner depicting Christ’s Holy Cross.

The battle began to the sound of trumpets as the two forces rushed together, and the floor of the valley shuddered at the tremendous impact. The fighting was fierce, and it seemed the Christians would lose the battle when King Alfonso plowed into the fray with his reserves. It was at that moment that a great miracle occurred.

The king’s banners floated above the tempest that was but a churning sea of bodies, blades and bobbing helmets where King Alfonso had briefly cleared his way with deadly blows. No man bore either banner, for they were both now held in the invisible hands of angels. The banners moved, seemingly of their own accord, passing directly over the heads of the astounded enemy. They finally came to rest motionless in the air above Miramamolin’s own tent. The Africans fired arrows and threw stones at the banners, but try as they might, they could do nothing to harm the banners. Mary, Virgin Most Powerful, had claimed that camp, and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

A wail of despair rose to the skies, while desert warriors scattered and leapt aside. King Alfonso had seemingly come from nowhere to burst upon the very point on which the whole battle turned. The valorous king was prepared to die rather than be conquered, as his smoldering eyes gave evidence. It seemed to the Moors that an avenging angel had sped down to earth from the heavens, and like men gone mad with terror, they cast down their spears and began to flee in all directions, running wildly into each other.

King Alfonso had fearlessly led his Christian army to an incredible, even miraculous, victory. Later that night the Sierras resounded, shaken by that hymn of thanksgiving raised up by the Church of Spain to the God of Battles.

OUR LADY OF MOYEN POINT, NEAR PERONNE, FRANCE

This feast day of the Blessed Virgin commemorates the miraculous image known as Our Lady of Moyen Point that was found by a French shepherd near the ponds where the meadows of Amele are presently located.

According to local tradition, it was on an extremely hot day that July when a shepherd named Giovanni decided to take his sheep to the ponds beyond the peaceful meadows of Amele to give them some relief from the excessive heat of the day. The ponds had only recently been formed amid the rolling meadows due to the excessive rains of the previous season, and Giovanni hoped to give his sheep a treat of the cool, sweet water he knew he would find there.

The shepherd was not prepared for the mystery that confronted him there amid the secluded meadows, for the sheep suddenly stopped and stood still as they drew near to the water. Instead of rushing forward to drink, as Giovanni had expected, they would not move at all, and a few of them bleated and made other strange sounds Giovanni had never heard before. Anticipating trouble, the shepherd made his way slowly to the edge of the closest pond, and found something odd lying in the water.

Moving carefully toward the object, Giovanni was relieved to find that it appeared to be nothing more than a statue. Drawing it out cautiously, he found that it was an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As Giovanni rescued the statue of Our Lady of Moyen Point from the water, the sheep began to move forward and crowd closer around him, and then gazed fixedly at what their shepherd held cradled in his arm.

The shepherd’s statue proved to be miraculous, and a church and shrine to Our Lady of Moyen Point was erected there near Peronna and the statue was given a place of honor therein. The church that was built there in honor of the event was damaged and later repaired in the year 1612.

OUR LADY OF GRACE, AT PICPUS, FAUBORG SAINT ANTOINE, OF PARIS (1629)

This image, which is carved of wood in the shape of a small ship with two angels at the end, was made in the year 1629 from a splinter taken from the famous image of Our Lady of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Among the famous pilgrimages of Paris, that of the pilgrimage to the chapel of Picpus, in France, is said to rank fifth. The shrine contains the above mentioned statue, given in the sixteenth century to this monastery by the famous Capuchin Joyeuse, known as Pere Ange, and later transferred to Saint-Antione of Paris.

Devotion to Mary retains its pristine fervor here, and many gifts and graces are bestowed on devotees by the Mother of Grace, Our Lady of Grace Paris. Pilgrimages are as ancient as society itself, and in fact, all nations have had consecrated places, to which they have made it a duty to resort at certain periods of commemoration, to become more deeply penetrated with a sense of the benefits received from God, by visiting those spots which they believed to be sanctified by his presence or his miracles.

God is everywhere, it is true. God hears in every place the prayer of faithful souls, and that in all places such prayer is granted; but what should hinder God from attaching certain favors to those ancient sanctuaries, where he has been pleased oftentimes to manifest his power by prodigies?

Pilgrimages, which date from the deluge, which have been received by all nations, and which among Catholics strengthen religious feelings by opening the soul to a crowd of generous and sanctifying emotions, are therefore a thing good, laudable, useful, and agreeable to the Divinity. We see those pious practices held in honor from the early times of the Church; Mary, the holy women, and the apostles were the first pilgrims, and the faithful of Europe and Asia walked readily in their footsteps. They come in crowds to these places, and edify us by the splendor of their virtues. Their language is different, but their Catholic faith is the same.

OUR LADY OF VERDUN, LORRAINE (5TH CENTURY)

The present Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Verdun is both a Catholic cathedral and a national monument of France. It has a long and ancient history.

It was in about the year 330 when Saint Sanctinus, a disciple of Saint Denis, converted the city of Verdun to the True Faith, and later made it an Episcopal city when he became its first bishop. He built a church there in honor of Saints Peter and Paul.

In the year 457 Saint Pulchrone, whose name is often mistakenly spelled Polichraine, built the first church located at the site where Our Lady of Verdun is presently located. The fifth Bishop of Verdun, Saint Pulchrone, built the church inside the walls of the city on top of ancient Roman ruins. This church was actually named to honor Mary as Mother of God, a title that had recently been confirmed at the councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. It was at the council of Ephesus in 431 that Mary was formally affirmed to be Theotokos, “God-bearer,” or “the one who gives birth to God.” At Chalcedon, the nature of Christ was formally defined, teaching that He was God and man, “one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, known in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.” With this definition Mary was shown to be the Mother of God, and not just of Our Lord in his human nature. The church and Our Lady of Verdun was celebrated for numerous miracles.

In the year 990 Bishop Heimon built a new cathedral to Our Lady of Verdun, and in the 12th century a choir and two portals were added. In 997, the Emperor Otto III conferred on this Bishop Heimon, or Haymon, the title of count, making him and his successors Episcopal Counts.

The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In the 14th century the flat wooden ceiling was replaced with a vaulted one, and side-chapels were added to the nave. Another side chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin in the Assumption was built in the 16th century. In 1755 the roof and towers were hit by lightning, which set them both on fire, which did significant damage to the church. The church was repaired and rebuilt in the Neo-Classical style in 1760.

The cathedral was once again severely damaged in World War I, as it was hit by artillery rounds in the Battle of Verdun which destroyed the towers. The crypt was rediscovered during the renovation that went on until the year 1936, and a re-inauguration took place in 1935. The millennial celebration of the cathedral took place in 1990.

The Arbennes family were the counts of Verdun, and Godfrey of Bouillon was a member of that family. Godfrey gave up his right to the count-ship before leaving on the First Crusade.

OUR LADY OF SAFETY OR OF SAFE HIDING, OVERLOON, HOLLAND

This title is a very recent one, having originated in World War II, at Overloon, a small town in Holland, lying about midway between Nijmegen and Venlo, about 30 miles south of Arnhem.

After the German armies had overrun Holland, a great many young Dutchmen fled to escape capture and possible death by the Germans. Many of these young men found a place of hiding in Overloon.

There are stories that several times this little town of some 1700 or 1800 inhabitants, had as many as 200 fugitives, hiding in the homes of the town.

A great many of these refugees who found a hiding place in Overloon, promised the Blessed Virgin they would erect a shrine in her honor if she would help save them.

The battle to free Overloon took place between 30 September and 18 October 1944, and was fought between the Allied forces and the German army. After suffering heavy losses, the battle resulted in an allied victory freeing the town of Overloon from German occupation. The battle had been ferocious, as 2,500 soldiers died at Overloon while the village itself was completely destroyed. For some reason this battle is not much remembered in the Netherlands, even though there is a museum in Overloon where the broken armored vehicles and tanks that had been left behind on the battlefield have been preserved for viewing.

After the war was over and peace came to the country, the Dutchmen who had been hiding in Overloon got together and built the promised shrine at Overloon, dedicating it to the Mother of God under the title of Our Lady of Safety or Safe Hiding. The following is from a translation of the Reuters article of December 4, 1954:

“On Wednesday, December 8, on the feast of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception, a chapel in Overloon will be consecrated. This simple chapel stands on the road that leads to Limburg, and will be dedicated to Our Lady of Safe Hiding. It was in mid 1942 that the first of those seeking safety from the brutal German occupiers sought hospitality in Overloon. By mid-1944 there were about 200 young men hiding in Overloon waiting for the day of liberation. In one of the forested areas there was even a student camp furnished with tents. This was all possible thanks to the wise and careful planning of an organization then at work, and to the hospitality and silence of the people of Overloon.

In 1945, those who had once been in hiding in Overloon, and who had enjoyed the generosity of the village, gathered funds for a memorial to the memory of those anxious days, and in gratitude to the people whose silence and hospitality had kept them alive. And so now this memorial is erected: a chapel dedicated to Mary, Our Lady of Safety, the patroness of Safe Hiding. The designer of this chapel is the architect Strik, while the famous Brabant sculptor Piet van Dongen created a fine image depicting the Madonna with two young men hiding under her cloak.”

INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF OUR LADY OF PREMONTRE, LANCASTER, ENGLAND,
by St. Norbert in the year 1120, after a revelation from Our Lady.

The Order of Canons Regular of Premontre, also known as the Premonstratensians, White Canons, or the Norbertines, are a religious order founded at Premontre in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became the Archbishop of Magdeburg.

Saint Norbert was not a particularly pious young man until he had an encounter with God similar to that of St. Paul. While riding through the countryside one bright day in the year 1115, Norbert had not gone far with the sky darkened due to a sudden storm. A bolt of lightning struck the ground near Norbert, causing his mount to rear and throw him to the ground. Norbert lay unconscious for some time, but when he awoke he went to his knees, calling out: “Lord, what dost thou wish that I should do?” A voice was heard to respond: “Avoid evil and do good.”

At that, Norbert was a changed man, determined to obey the heavenly command. He made a spiritual retreat and became a priest, giving away his estates and retiring to a life of rural solitude, applying himself to a life of prayer and contemplation. Saint Norbert left his hermitage from time to time to preach in France, Belgium and Germany, begging for his bread along the way. In time, a few good men were drawn to his sanctity and began to follow him.

During this time Saint Norbert befriended Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and it is thought that Saint Bernard’s example inspired Saint Norbert to form a similar community for canons. A remote place in the marshy forested lands of Premontre was selected to be the place where they decided to make their place of retreat, devoting themselves to the chanting of the Divine Office, prayer and meditation. Soon they had a simple monastery and church in the wilderness.

Saint Norbert prayed that he might know the will of God for his order, and he had a vision of Saint Augustine, who gave him his rule and said: “I am Augustine, Bishop of Hippo; behold here the rule which I have written; if your fellow-brethren, my sons, shall have observed it well, they shall stand without fear in the presence of Christ on the terrible day of the last judgment.”

Saint Norbert had a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She herself, Our Lady of Premontre, appeared to him in a vision, giving Norbert the white habit that he and his brothers in religion were to wear.

Guerenus wrote in his commentaries on the Canticle of Canticles that: “Saint Norbert, with his holy Order, was raised up by Divine Providence to render conspicuous in his day two mysteries, the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.”

In only a few years there were nine houses and the order had papal approval from Pope Honorius II. By the middle of the 14th century there were over 1,300 monasteries and 400 convents stretching from Palestine to Norway while nourishing all of Christendom. This was the time of the High Middle Ages, creating the foundation for Western Civilization.

A little below Lancaster, England, stand the ruins of what was once Cockersands Abbey, also known as Our Lady of the Marshes, and Our Lady of Premontre, because the Premonstratensians were responsible for its erection, changing the bleak and barren lands into fertile profitable ones. When the dissolution of the Lancashire monasteries began in 1537, the Abbey seal was broken and the gold and jewels stolen by King Henry VIII. Furniture and goods were sold, and the monks’ quarters stripped of their lead and left to fall into ruin, and decay. Some who live around the ruins claim up-to-date that at midnight the chant of the monks can be heard amid the cries and moans of the desolate.

Since this monastery had been dedicated to Mary, at least one monk was set aside as the “Mary priest” whose special duty it was to offer daily or two or three times a week a votive Mass in honor of Our Lady of Premontre. He also rang the “Mary Bell” morning and evening and kept her shrine decked with flowers and lights and saw that the best vessels and finest linens were used on her feast days. Going on a pilgrimage to Mary’s shrine, people would be “measured” for a candle by taking their length and breadth in the form of a cross and candles were made to equal the sum of these two numbers. The candles were coiled and carried to burn either in supplication or thanksgiving before Our Lady’s image. On her feast days large candles, “wreathed with flowers” were burned in profusion. They were called “Gaud-candles” meaning joy and beauty; now the word degenerated from “gaud” – gaudy, means crude, loud, ugly.

Hough de Pourte in 1318 left a yearly rent “to maintain a 3-pound candle to burn before Our Lady’s altar daily at her High Mass,” whilst John Baret at Bury requested in his will that at his burial and Requiem Mass five men should follow the coffin dressed in black to represent the five wounds of Our Blessed Lord, and five women dressed in white to represent the five joys of Our Blessed Lady. Each “must hold a candle of clean wax.” Another man left a half acre of ground to purchase “Lady” candles to burn yearly to “lighten Our Lady’s way.” Countless more of these requests could be enumerated.

And why this love of candles and light? Because like so much in the Catholic Church is symbolic. A light is put to the wick – the hard wax melts and overflows and is drawn downward with blessing from Our Lady; the light illumines our darkness of mind and soul – when our hearts are lit with God’s love and that of His Blessed Mother, they soften, become filled with God’s grace and light, and inevitably shine before men.

May the candles of Our Lady of Premontre continue to lighten Our Lady in our souls and make us more and more Mary-like each day. May the number of votive Masses in Mary’s honor increase and may there be again those who will be proud to style themselves “Mary priests.” May hearts glow with love of her. Only through her intercession may we ever hope for the conversion of our land which is so rapidly falling prey to the mighty evils of these modern times in which we all need our Heavenly Mother more than ever before in the world’s history.

Our Lady of Premontre, Light us ever on our way!

FOUNDATION OF OUR LADY OF CAMBRON, FRANCE (1148)

This feast day celebrates the Foundation of Our Lady of Cambron, near Mons, in Hainault, Belgium, by Anselm de Trasigny, lord of Peronne and canon of Soignies, in the year 1148.

The abbey of Cambron was founded on the River Blanche and was a daughter house of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. It was situated some leagues from Mons in Cambron-Casteau in Hainaut, Belgium, and took its name from the land on which it was built. Cambron, in its turn, had daughter houses in the abbeys of Fontenelle at Valenciennes and six other sites. The image of Our Lady formerly honored at Cambron was famous for a great number of miraculous cures. A chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Cambron, was built at Mons in 1550 in a part of the prince’s park.

In the following centuries the magistrates of Mons had a beautiful door built for the shrine, and added other embellishments. In 1559, thieves broke into the chapel and stole everything of value to be found there. There was a small oratory was very much frequented.

After the French Revolution when the State took over all properties given to religious services, this chapel of Our Lady of Cambron was also taken. It was demolished after all the wood, iron, and lead was removed. The statue of the Blessed Virgin which decorated the altar, was then placed in the church of Saint Elizabeth at Mons. The abbey of Cambron was rebuilt in the 18th century, but was ordered vacated in 1783 by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. It was later sold to a wealthy Count who built a mansion on the property, and the land remained in his family’s hands until it was sold in 1993 to a family who turned the holy and once revered site into the location of a public zoo known as the Pairi Daiza.

A story told about Cambron is as follows: In the early 13th century a man named William who had embraced the true faith was employed by the Count of Hainaut. Once when traveling, he stopped at the Abbey of Cambron. In one of the rooms he saw a picture of the adoration of the Magi. In a rage, he slashed the figure of the Virgin Mary with his pike. A carpenter discovered him and would have killed him on the spot, were it not for the restraining hand of one of the religious. In the confusion, the man escaped.

The Pope of Avignon, to whom the case was referred, demanded the punishment of the man. He was captured, and then released for he continued to deny the accusations.

Four years later an old man who had been a smith was inspired to avenge the insult offered to the Mother of God. He consulted the Abbot of Cambron and then asked the Count of Hainaut for authorization to combat the accused man. The results of that duel were not recorded by any of my sources.

OUR LADY OF LAC BOUCHET, QUEBEC (1920)

The Saguenay Fjord is an ancient glacial valley that has been overrun with sea water. In the year 1828 a surveyor, Joseph Bouchette, ventured into the region for the purpose of collecting data for topographical maps. It was during this expedition that he found a suitable site for a future village, which Pascal Dumais and his family later settled. This marked the founding of the village of Lac-Bouchette, with more and more people coming to settle in the area until the village had 300 inhabitants in about the year 1888.

Our story actually begins with a man named Charles Napoleon Robitaille, a salesman who traveled the roads in and around Quebec. During the winters he would have to cross frozen rivers, and it was in the winter of 1878 while trying to cross the Saguenay River that the ice broke under the weight of his horse and sleigh. Pulled beneath the surface of the icy waters, Charles was alone and completely helpless. Knowing he was dying, he implored the Blessed Virgin Mary to save him.

Charles miraculously survived, and managed to escape from the river with his life. He knew the Virgin had assisted him, and so to honor Mary and her recent apparition at Lourdes, he asked Louis Jobin to create a huge statue of the Blessed Virgin sculpted in the image of Our Lady of Lourdes. He envisioned the statue in the heights overlooking the mouth of the river. The statue Jobin sculpted became known as Notre-Dame du Saguenay.

The finished statue is an impressive 35 feet high, and weighs 3 tons. Sculpted of solid white pine, it was then sheathed in lead to protect the statue from the harsh weather. Hauling such a huge statue into place was a difficult task in the late nineteenth century. After being constructed, it was broken down into 14 separate pieces and then hoisted into place to be put together again. On the right side of the base of the statue, the sculptor affixed a lead plate on which is written: "Louis Jobin, Quebec." The statue made him the most famous sculptor of the time, and the statue has become a regional landmark, with visitors from the world over assembling at her feet to sing the Ave Maria.

In 1889 the mission church of Saint Thomas Aquinas was built, and the next year Father Joseph Ironwood became the first pastor. A second church was soon built, in 1898, as the population increased dramatically. Now, on the north shore of Lake Bouchet, in the province of Quebec, there stand the buildings of a friary and the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Sagueney.

In 1920, Father Elzear Delamarre built a house and a private chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua on the site, which later became known as the hermitage of Saint Anthony and is one of the national shrines in Quebec. So began the pilgrimage-shrine that has since grown steadily in popularity.

After Father de Lamarre’s death in 1925, the Capuchin Franciscans took over the property, built their house and church there, and ministered to the thousands of pilgrims who sought out the sanctuary.

JULY 26 AND 27: OUR LADY OF FAITH
(NOTRE-DAME-DE-FOY, OR NOTRE-DAME-DE-FOI)

Not far from the small town of Dinant, in the country of Liege near a home belonging to the lord of Celles, two magnificent oaks once grew. One of the two venerable old trees was felled in the year 1609 for lumber. The worker who inspected the tree found in the interior a small statue of the Mother of God, enthroned, as it were, with three iron bars that served as a trellis. Apparently, at some time in the distant past, some pious Christian soul had placed the holy image in a hollow of the oak, as if in a niche. Then, over a period of time, the opening the tree had made while it was still young gradually closed, and as it grew, the tree hid in its womb the precious figure.

To honor the Virgin, the statue was subsequently displayed on the other oak, once again behind an iron grating, by order of Baron of Celles. In this new sanctuary the Mother of God was honored with the title of Our Lady of Faith. Those passing by did not fail to venerate the statue; and there were many unexpected healings. Graces of all kinds multiplied, and soon pilgrims began to flock to the area because of the dazzling miracles.

A priest of the Society of Jesus had recently been sent to Gravelines. He worked diligently to cultivate souls, as if upon a fruitful vine, and by his sermons excited the people of the region to a greater love for the Mother of God. Seeing that this devotion had taken root, he met with the local Magistrate to discuss how to maintain and increase the piety of the people. It was decided that they should make replicas of the statue of Our Lady of Faith, made from the wood of the first oak. When the first was completed, the image was observed to have a great resemblance to the original. Received with great joy, it was to be placed in a large reliquary above the high altar in the parish church.

The image of Mary, Our Lady of Faith (de Foy), was solemnly installed by the Bishop of St. Omer on the feast of the Ascension. Since the year 1622 she has been honored by huge gatherings of the faithful. Great numbers of miracles occurred and still occur daily, says Father Boil, and he cites as support of his assertion a booklet entitled: Remarkable Healings made through the invocation of Our Lady of Faith, Gravelines, which was a booklet printed at St. Omer in 1623, with the approval of the Bishop.

To satisfy the pious zeal of the faithful, the venerated image of Our Lady of Faith was frequently reproduced. The oak, which for so many years had contained the image, served this purpose, as its wood was used to create other similar statues of Our Lady of Foy. The additional statues of the Holy Virgin which were distributed to churches in Bailleul, Dilingue, Gravelines, Huy, Lille, Lobbes, Marchiennes Montmartre, Saint-Omer, Oudenbourg, Reims, Ruislip, an D’Furnes, among others. These cities were honored to possess this image of Mary, and welcomed the statue, made of the same wood of the tree of Foy. In all of these various localities Our Lady of Faith began to work many wonders.

Of all the images made of wood modeled after the original Madonna, the most famous perhaps is the one that is kept today at the cathedral of Amiens. The statue was placed in the church of the Augustinian religious at the beginning of the year 1629, whose monastery was located in the parish of Saint Michael. As of May 3 of that year wonderful miracles began to occurr, and soon the Bishop of Amiens, Francois Le Febvre de Caumartin, formed a commission to study and conduct the necessary investigations. He ended by canonically recognizing devotion to the image and published four major miracles which had occurred, including the most striking being the resurrection of a dead child.

Here are some details recalling this memorable prodigy. A child had fallen into a pit and been buried for several hours. The devout Christians who struggled to rescue him did all in their power to revive him, but to no avail. Finally, the people took the child before the statue of Our Lady of Foy and knelt to pray with confidence for Our Lady’s intercession. Immediately the child showed signs of life and awakened as if from sleep.

At Gravelines, there had been a child who died at birth. While he was being prepared for his burial, the sorrowful mother invoked Mary in the image of Our Lady of Faith. Suddenly, a life-giving warmth spread through the child’s icy members, who then began to cry and shake his small hands. The child received baptism, and now grows under the watchful eyes of his mother, for whom he is a constant consolation.

A ship captain related that his ship had recently sunk beneath the waves, and that the sailors and passengers aboard had all perished. The captain alone remained struggling against the swells, without hope of rescue, and recalled that he himself was near death. In his pressing moment of need he has recourse to Our Lady of Faith, and vowed to make a pilgrimage to the church if he should live. Although he was three leagues from Gravelines, he was instantly transported to the shore and hastened to fulfill his vow.

On another occasion, a father, whose child had died, came to Amiens carrying the lifeless body of his infant son. The child had been baptized out of necessity by the hands of his grandmother. The father arrived at the church of the convent during the celebration of Holy Mass. He set the child before the image of Our Lady of Faith, and the little corpse revived before the wondering eyes of the faithful during the Elevation.

The chaplain of the queen-mother, who was a former canon of the cathedral, split the press of people and inquired whether the child had been baptized. On the negative reply of the father, who falsely believed the grandmother’s baptism had been invalid, the priest renewed the sacramental rite and gave the name of Augustine to the happy child of the Blessed Virgin. Sometime after the miracle, the child died again and was buried in the cemetery of Saint James. After thirteen days the body was exhumed, and there was no sign of any corruption.

During the plague of 1634 which ravaged Amiens, the people of the town processed with the image of Our Lady of Foy, and the bishop presided over the ceremony and celebrated the Pontifical Mass. The plague ceased.

In the year 1636 the noble ladies were frequently seen with their maids of honor praying before the holy image, and Cardinal Richelieu who attend the litanies that were sung every day in this blessed sanctuary. In addition, the brotherhood, established under the title of Our Lady of Foy, included a number of high ranking personages, including King Louis XIII, Anne of Autriclhe, King Louis XIV, Queen Marie-Therese, King Louis XV, as well as the members of the noblest and most illustrious families of Picardy. The religious association had chosen as its main feast the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, a mystery that recalls so perfectly the incomparable faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

All of these prodigies had an immense effect, and the number of extraordinary favors soon became considerable. The miraculous Madonna of Foy drew the faithful more than ever in all their necessities.

The image of Our Lady of Foy was hidden to protect it from the impious during the time of the French Revolution.

Afterwards, the image was returned to the church, but the little Madonna became lost in the vastness of the cathedral, and received the homage of only a few souls who knew and remembered.

In 1878, Bishop Battle, of pious memory, celebrated Mass at Notre-Dame de Foy, and the restoration of this cult was finally decided. Soon the venerable Chapter, supported by the bishop, asked the Pope to deign to open the treasure of indulgences. Many devotions and pilgrimages were once again made in her honor, and candles were constantly kept burning before her image. Every 15thof August, the Feast of the Assumption, there again resumed public recitation of Litanies along with processions as the people showed their love and appreciation for their Heavenly Mother. Since then Our Lady of Faith constantly gathers new testimonies of love by her precious favors.

THE SIEGE OF RHODES. Victory over the Turks by the Knights Hospitaller at Rhodes in 1480 through Our Lady’s intercession.

Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the last remnant of the Holy Roman Empire, fell to the “Scourge of Europe,” the Sultan Mehmet II, in the year 1453. This dire news was almost impossible to believe in the rest of Christendom, but it was sadly true, and Constantinople was made into the new seat of the Ottoman Empire.

A few short years later, Pierre D’Aubusson was Grand Master of the Hospitallers, the Knights of Saint John, living on the island of Rhodes. He and his knights were untiring opponents of Islam, sworn to do everything in their power to fight against them. Having made the island of Rhodes their home, the knights harassed Ottoman shipping lanes and assisted with attacks against the Ottoman Empire.

In the year 1479, D’Aubusson refused to pay tribute to Mehmet in exchange for peace, and furthermore, had the audacity to continue harassing the sultan's shipping lanes. The Grand Master continued to work on the massive fortifications on Rhodes as he awaited the siege of Rhodes that he knew would soon come. His walls were strong, but the Grand Master had only a few hundred knights and about 2,000 natives to defend them.

Mehmet was not intimidated by the Christian defenses on Rhodes, for he had huge cannons and basilisks which had blasted holes in the stout walls of Constantinople. He also had over 70,000 men in his army, and he was determined to wipe out “that abode of the sons of Satan,” as he referred to the Catholic knights of Rhodes.

The Siege of Rhodes began with a tremendous bombardment on the tower of Saint Nicholas. Grand Master Pierre D’Aubusson was not intimidated as he asked: “What is more sacred than to defend the Faith? What is happier than to fight for Christ?”

Breaches were eventually made in the walls, and the Muslim’s unremittingly attempted to rush through the breaches. Many of the Turks had to be forced to attack the defenses, as their commanders lashed them forward with whips and chains. The Janissaries, however, did not have to be urged, for they were the sultan’s finest troops. They were warriors to the core, and advanced over the fallen bodies of their comrades, anxious to cross swords with the Catholic knights.

Finally, the Tower of Italy began to crumble from the terrific assault, and large breaches opened in the wall. The Bashi-Bazouks and Janissaries rushed into the breach, placing the standard of Islam above the tower.

On witnessing this act, the Grandmaster rushed into the breach together with a few of his excellent knights. Howling and raging like madmen, the Janissaries pressed the assault, for the knights seemed too few to stand against their wave after wave of thousands of elite warriors. Yet the Grandmaster stood, insensible of any wounds he received in return for the carnage he wreaked among the fanatical Muslim warriors.

Fighting with broken blades and notched axes, the Knights of Saint John continued to hold the breach, cutting down any who approached them, until a huge Janissary rose up and hurled a spear with all his might directly at the Grand Master. Propelled at incredible speed, the sharp steel tip easily pierced D’Aubusson’s breastplate, puncturing his lung. The Grand Master went down beneath a torrent of hacking blades as the knights struggled to drag his body from the fray.

By his courageous stand D’Aubusson had proven he was at least the equal of any Grand Master in history, but now he was wounded unto death and could do no more. The siege of Rhodes appeared to be lost as D’Aubusson’s knights struggled to haul him to safety. Thousands of Jannisaries were rushing into the breach with no one to stop them, and at this point the knights knew it would take a miracle to keep Rhodes from being overrun.

A miracle is exactly what they got. Suddenly there appeared in the sky “a refulgent cross of gold, by the side of which stood a beautiful woman clothed in garments of dazzling white, a lance in her hand and a shield on her arm, accompanied by a man dressed in goatskins and followed by a band of heavenly warriors armed with flaming swords.” It was the glorious figures of Saint John the Baptist, the Patron Saint of the Order of Saint John, Saint Michael the Archangel brandishing his unsheathed sword, and the Queen of Heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, dressed in battle array!

The Turks turned at the sight and ran in panic-stricken flight. Thousands fell as they fled, cut down and pursued through the breaches by the knights of Rhodes and their heavenly allies. Chased all the way back to their camp, it was now the defeated Muslims who suffered the insult of having their sultan’s own standard captured.

The siege of Rhodes had ended, and Grandmaster D’Aubusson later recovered of his wounds. He had lost 231 of his knights, but that was nothing compared to the thousands upon thousands of Muslim warriors who lay dead upon his shores.

It was in the year of Our Lord 1480 that the knights of Rhodes had gained this signal victory over the Turks, by the help of the Blessed Virgin, whom the Knights regarded ever after as Our Lady of Victory. They renewed their dedication to her who had appeared on the walls during the siege of Rhodes holding a lance in her hand to defend them, bringing with her Saint Michael the Archangel and a heavenly army. She, the Patroness of the Sovereign and Military Order of Hospitallers, had turned the formerly obstinate enemy, who retired in disorder to lose the greater part of their army. Thanks to Our Lady of Victory, the all-conquering sword of Mehmet II had shattered upon the walls of Rhodes!

OUR LADY OF DELIVERANCE, MADRID, SPAIN

Devotion to Mary under the above title is one of the most ancient of all Marian devotions. It was the city of Madrid, in Spain, that became the scene of its popularization.

During the Spanish wars which occasioned the people to seek refuge in the New World, a looting soldier carried off a statue from one of the shrines in Madrid. The image was a beautiful little statue that depicted Mary cuddling at her breast the Infant Jesus whom she was lovingly nursing.

A poor peasant returning from the fields after making a visit to the shrine, recognized the statue in the possession of the drunken soldier. He bought the statue for a small sum of money, and carried it home to enshrine it in his humble cottage. It chanced that this man’s wife was nearing childbirth, so daily the couple knelt before the statue begging the Mother of God to give the expectant mother a safe delivery.

As the days passed, it was evident that there were difficulties, and that the wife of the poor peasant was certainly threatened with death. The father prayed most fervently before the image of Mary for his wife’s safety. His confidence was rewarded by a happy delivery vouchsafed by the Little Mother, as he lovingly referred to the statue. He named the statue accordingly, the Mother of Safe Delivery, which also became known as Our Lady of Deliverance.

The news spread rapidly, and Mary’s devotees, finding themselves under similar circumstances as the peasant’s wife, frequented the home until it became too small to accommodate all of them. A chapel was built for Our Lady of Deliverance, and later a church named after Saint Martin. The statue of the Mother of Safe Delivery was removed with great pomp; nobility and peasant alike knelt in prayer in their personal and family needs. Our Lady recognized all as her children, bestowing safe deliveries where requested.

This devotion also spread to the New World with the Spanish colonization of Florida. In the 1600’s the Conquistadors brought the image to Saint Augustine, known to them as Nuestra Senora de la Leche y Buen Parto, Our Lady of the Milk and Safe Delivery. It became the scene of one of the first known Marian Shrines in what was to become the United States of America.

OUR LADY DE GRAY, FRANCE (1602)

The shrine of Notre-Dame de Gray, or Our Lady of Gray, is located near Besancon in Northern France near Franche-Comte. The statue of Our Lady of Gray is made of an oak tree from Montaigu, has a black color, and is only 14.5 centimeters tall. It is much honored in the country, and there are many miracles and graces granted to petitioners that are attributed to Our Lady’s intercession at this shrine.

It is estimated that about five centuries ago, on a hill near Montaigu, a pious person placed a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon an old oak tree. The tree itself is believed to date from the time of the Druids, and crested one of the hills in the diocese of Malines. Soon the faithful began to come in crowds from throughout the region, for there were miraculous healings and various miracles granted to the pilgrims who invoked Mary under the name of Our Lady of the Oak.

In the year 1602 a small wooden chapel was built on the hill of Montaigu. The oak upon which the statue of Our Lady had once been displayed was now cut up into small pieces and carved by a local craftsman into statuettes of the same image. These statues were presented as a mark of respect to patrons of the shrine. Even the wood of the oak was considered almost a precious relic, for it had once touched the miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin.

Wherever they went these figures were enshrined with honor and it seemed as if Our Lady of Montaigu sent her favor, for her miraculous power went with them.

In the year 1613 a poor, seventy year old widow named Jeanne Bonnet de Salins made a pilgrimage to the shrine. She obtained a piece of the venerable old oak, and took it to a sculptor named Jean Brange to carve into a statue similar to that of the original. On April 4, 1613, the Archbishop of Besancon blessed the statue and allowed it to be exhibited for public veneration.

It is reported that Jeanne Bonnet was rewarded by signal graces she obtained through Our Lady’s intercession. She intended to give the statue to a local church, but in 1616 yielded to the repeated entreaties of Father Gabriel Appremont, who wanted to have the image for the Capuchins of Gray. A special chapel was richly decorated to receive it. The news soon spread in the region of Gray and the faithful flocked to pay their respects to the new Madonna, Our Lady of Gray.

The statue of Our Lady of Gray holds in her right hand a gleaming scepter of gold that a parishioner donated in the year 1807. It was at this time that the chapel was undergoing reconstruction after the ravages of the French Revolution. There are also three semi-precious stones set in the front of the base of the statue that we given by grateful petitioners to the Blessed Virgin. Finally, the two gold crowns were created in 1909 on the occasion of the celebration of the coronation of the statue of Our Lady of Gray.

OUR LADY OF THE SLAIN, LORBAN, PORTUGAL

Our Lady of the Slain, also known as Our Lady of the Murdered, is located at a Cistercian monastery in Ceica, near Lorban, in the country of Portugal.

It is piously believed that this image was brought directly from heaven to be given to the Abbot John, who was the uncle of King Afonso I of Portugal. The statue earned its unique title through many spectacular miracles. It is best known for the fact that life was restored to several persons who had been murdered. Interestingly, in memory of these miracles, those who had been raised from the dead would bear, from that time forward, a red mark upon their throats, like that which was hen seen on the throat of the image. This information comes to us from the Cistercian Chronicles.

King Afonso I, the Conqueror, (also known as Afonso Henriques), was the first king of Portugal and a lifelong sworn opponent of Islam. He spent 46 years as king of Portugal waging war against the Moors in order to drive the invaders from his land.

He was also known for his piety and great love for God. A relative of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, he bestowed many privileges and benefits to the religious orders and built Alcobaca Monastery for the Cistercian Order.

He was responsible for the foundation of several monasteries and convents, and was favorable especially toward the Cistercians.

King Afonso was not a stranger to the miraculous. Before the battle of Ourique, when Afonso was to meet in battle an overwhelming army of five Moorish kings, he prayed that God would give him the strength to defeat his enemies.

He fell asleep, and in his dream a mysterious old man entered his tent to him to advise him that it was God’s will that he would be victorious in the coming engagement against the Moors. Afterward, he was awakened by his guard, who told him there was an old man waiting outside who wished to speak to him. King Afonso bade him enter, and was started to see it was the old man from his dream.

The old man said: “Alfonso, have confidence, because you will conquer and destroy these infidel kings, you will smash their power and the Lord will appear to you.”

He then instructed the king to leave his camp that night, without any attendant, at the sound of the church bell ringing from the old man’s hermitage.

It was dark, and the night seemed ominous and strangely vacant when King Afonso heard the mournful toll of the bell. He took up his sword and shield and mounted his horse to ride alone from the camp. A heavy cloud cover blotted out the light of the moon and stars when suddenly an intense beam of light illuminated the night from the East, and in this resplendent light a Cross appeared bearing the crucified Christ. King Afonso dismounted and prostrated himself before the image of the King of Kings when he heard a voice telling him that he would indeed be victorious against the Moors. Trusting in God, King Afonso went into battle and won an impressive victory against the five kings. It is said that Saint James, the Moorslayer, appeared during the battle to guarantee the victory of the Christian army.

King Afonso went on to win other great battles against the Moors, doubling the size of the kingdom of Portugal that he had founded.