The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 37 continued

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

France

OUR LADY OF PUY

 37  [continued] We are now on our way to Vélay to visit the magnificent Church called Our Lady of Puy which was founded by St Evode (known also as Vozy) who was the seventh Bishop of that city. This was a mother church for numerous holy Pastors and was frequently visited by Saints, Popes, Prelates, Emperors and Kings. It received precious gifts and substantial privileges. I would never be forgiven if I failed to explain the origins of this miraculous place, having delved into others which are of much less importance[1].

St Georges, the first Archbishop of  Vélay would frequently include in his Sermons praises for the MOTHER OF GOD and this drew many souls to love and serve her.

Amongst these was a devout woman from a place called Vila who had for a long time suffered from a terrible fever which seemed to have no cure, but the Mother of Mercy was to come to her rescue. One night she was told to go up to Mt Anis and she had herself carried there by her people. When she arrived there she saw a large rectangular stone like an altar where she asked to be allowed to rest and suddenly sleep came over her. Then the Holy Virgin gave her to understand that it was in this spot that she wished to be honoured, that she should tell the Bishop Georges and that she would immediately regain perfect health as proof of the truth of this message. After this, she awoke and found she had fully recovered which prompted her to journey quickly to the Holy Prelate and tell him about all that had happened to her. He immediately betook himself to the mountain, accompanied by several ecclesiastics. There then occurred a second miracle, as if to confirm the first. When they reached the top of the mountain they saw at the foot of Corneille Rock, where the Church of Our Lady is now located, a carpet of snow – even though it was the eleventh of July. That was not all, for there was third miracle : a stag appeared and plunged into the snow, tracing the outline and plan of the Church to be built there. After this had been done, the stag disappeared from the view of those present. St Georges fell to the ground in adoration of the divine Providence which had revealed these signs. He commanded there and then that a sturdy stockade should be built following the lines left by the stag. This was to protect the site from any profanation as well as to mark it out so that what could not be undertaken immediately might be completed in the fulness of time. 

The honour of completing this masterpiece was reserved for St Vozy whom I mentioned earlier. Around the year 221 he received a request from the MOTHER OF GOD TO BUILD a Church in the place indicated and to transfer the Episcopal see of Vélay to the new site. The Holy Virgin’s wishes were communicated to him by a most virtuous Lady who had lost the use of her limbs. She was staying at Seissac, an enclave near Puy which belonged to the Viscounts of Polignac, an ancient and illustrious family from whom she is believed to have descended. This Lady had no other consolation in her affliction than the sweet memory of the Queen of Heaven’s mercies and she often prayed to her. There was one particular occasion amongst others when, after praying fervently to her, she fell asleep. It was then that the Mother most bounteous appeared to her and asked her to betake herself to the Anis rock, near the place where St Georges had built the stockade. There she would regain perfect health. She was carried there straight away and Our Lady appeared to her, asking her to speak to Bishop Vozy in the way I mentioned earlier

The Holy Prelate, appreciating the need in a matter of such importance for an approach  that would bring it to maturity, summoned his people and his clergy and, after updating them about what had been asked of him, he called on them to dedicate three days to prayer and penance. He was told once again by an Angel of the wishes of the MOTHER OF GOD in this matter and at the end of the three days he processed with his people to the place designated. Once there, everyone from the greatest to the least was suffused with countless thoughts and feelings of heavenly sweetness. The holy Prelate experienced these more than the others and, speaking amid the fervour which set his heart on fire, he foretold aloud that:

    • God would readily hear the prayers offered up to Him;

    • He would grant several special favours; and

    • of all the places in Christendom, people would flock here in their devotion.

So as to leave nothing out in a matter of such importance, he travelled to Rome to discuss his plans for the project with St Callistus who then occupied the throne of St Peter. Having obtained the Holy Father’s approval, he returned and initiated work on the scheme. To ensure a timely completion of the works, he erected dwellings near the construction site and he lived there himself until the completion of the building, with feelings of inner contentment impossible to describe. 

Once the Church had been finished, he set off again for Rome to obtain Papal authority to consecrate it, following the custom of the time. Before he had gone a quarter of a league, however, he saw coming towards him two venerable old men wearing white. They told him they had been sent by the Holy Father to see the Bishop of Puy and his companion bearing precious gifts from Rome : two small chests filled with holy relics. They handed these over straight away, ordering them to take off their shoes and to carry the relics barefoot to the Church they had just built.

“We shall go ahead,” they added, “so as to be there before you; and lest you are worrying about the dedication of the Church, you should know that it has been recently consecrated already by Angels. In token of this, you will find on your return the doors closed just as they were when you left. But when you arrive they will open and the bells will ring of their own accord. The Church will look as though it is on fire because of the multitude of candles, torches and lamps that have been lit. The Holy Chrism used by the Angels for the consecration of the Church will still be fresh on the altar and the walls.”

Every detail of what they had predicted came true, one after another. The joy they all felt at so many wondrous favours from Heaven was truly great, as can be imagined. Now although the fame of Our Lady of Puy was widespread because of the miracles that occurred there even before the arrival of the image which is now there, it is nevertheless true that after this the crowds of pilgrims and their devotion increased still further in a most wonderful manner.

There are those who conjecture that this image is the same as that which was carved in setim wood on the order of Jeremiah and was later given by the Sultan of Egypt to St Louis who made a gift of it to Our Lady of Puy in 1253 on returning from his journey overseas. Anyone who wants to read more about this should look at what has been written by those who undertook to produce a history of these events[2].

Footnotes

[1] Odo Gissæus. D. Virgiuis Anicensis, lib. I, c. 7, ex tabulis et archivio Eccles. Aniciensis.

[2] Odo Gissæus, D. Virginis Aniciensis, lib. II, c. 7, 8, 9.

 

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024