The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.42-43

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 CHARTREUX, OUR LADY OF THE WAY, OUR LADY OF DIJON or OF GOOD HOPE, OUR LADY OF ESTANG (ÉTANG), & OUR LADY OF LA LEVÉE

 42   We now find ourselves in Burgundy and we are going to visit:

 

• the Church called Our Lady of Graces, known for its devotion to the holy Virgin; 
• below the City of Beaune, the Chapel of Our Lady of Chartreux, ancient seat of the Dukes of Burgundy; and 
• half a league from there, on the Dijon side, Our Lady of the Way.

In Dijon, we shall pay a visit to the Church of Our Lady where we shall pay our respects to the miraculous image which was named Our Lady of Good Hope. I am calling it miraculous not only because of the various miracles that have occurred here since ancient times but also because of what happened through the intervention of the most sacred Virgin in 1513 which is described on panels inside the Church of Our Lady and commemorated by a solemn procession every year.

The Swiss had burned, pillaged and sacked everything around the City, as well as the finest sites in the Province. Finally, they laid siege to the City of Dijon itself, which is the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy. They attacked it violently and besieged it so effectively that the citizens of Dijon were close to despair, all human means they had tried having failed. They decided to have recourse to divine assistance and went to the Church of Our Lady. Taking the statue of Our Lady of Good Hope, they carried it in a procession all around the City, imploring her help in their dire straits. Their Bountiful Mother, always alert to the needs of her children, did not let them down and responded promptly to their prayers. The procession had scarcely got under way when the Swiss began to relent and in fact such was the change in them that three days later they reached a friendly accord with the citizens of Dijon, lifted the siege and withdrew back to their own country.  This miracle took place two days before Our Lady’s feast day in September and so the citizens made a public vow to preserve in perpetuity the memory of their deliverance and to hold a solemn procession on the 6th of September, bearing the image of  Our Lady of Good Hope all around the City, giving thanks to her who had delivered them in such an extraordinary manner.

From Dijon, all you now have to do is join those setting off on pilgrimage to Our Lady of Étang which is two leagues distant from the city. To whet your appetite, I shall explain in a few words the origin of this devotion which goes back to 1531.

There was a cowherd who was watching over his cattle on the top of the hill where the Chapel is now located. One of the oxen left the herd and made its way to graze as is natural at a certain spot on the hill, but when the cowherd went to bring it back, this proved impossible. The more the cowherd tried, the more stubbornly the ox stayed there. What was quite remarkable was that after the ox had grazed there for a whole day, by the next day the grass had grown back and was actually thicker than before. This made the cowherd suspect that something extraordinary was going on and it led him to dig in the ground at that spot. He unearthed a small statue of the Holy Virgin made of terra cotta and he took it into his arms with great joy. He placed it in a nearby tree and the villagers from the locality came to honour the image. The news spread and a great many people came from all parts to witness the miracle.

 43   Please be patient, dear Reader, if we stay a little longer in this holy Chapel to hear about something which is full of consolation and which you will find all the more interesting since it happened no more than six months ago in this year 1631.

A gentleman had done an act as base as it is possible for someone of his rank and station to commit – he had seduced a religious sister, removed her from her convent and he was now taking her to a location they had agreed upon for their assignation. As they were riding into a wood, three robbers sprang out in front of them. As the gentleman was preparing to defend himself, one of the robbers shot him in the head with an arquebus and left him for dead. The nun who had been riding pillion behind the gentleman fell to the ground with him. The robbers started to search her, took everything she had and then asked where she came from. She had taken out a medal of Our Lady of Estang which she wore around her neck and had started to pray to her for help as soon as she saw danger threatening. She now openly confessed her sin, declaring she was at fault and deserving of punishment for what she had done. 

There was one of the robbers whose heart was touched by her situation and he asked her whether she wanted to return to the place she had left under such shameful circumstances. She replied that she had made herself totally undeserving of such a favour; but that if such a blessing should ever be granted her, she would count it among the greatest she had ever received from heaven – showing that she might indeed hope in the mercy of God. The robber helped her up onto the saddle behind him and took her back to the monastery, warning her to show greater wisdom in future. The young lady burst into tears, full of gratitude for the infinite goodness of God and the sudden change of heart he had brought about in this man, wondering how she thank him for his extraordinary kindness. The Mother of Love who was guiding her provided an answer. The young woman produced the medal with the image of Our Lady and offered it to the robber as the richest jewel she possessed, one to which she owed her deliverance and all the hope of salvation which she still had.

The robber took the image and set off at a galop back to his friends but he experienced a miraculous change of heart as soon as he took possession of the medal with its tender image. While he was riding, he felt so strongly the pressure to change his way of life and he could suddenly see so clearly what a wretched state he was in that he could find no rest until he had formed a resolution in his heart to face a painful death rather than put off taking steps to assure himself of salvation. In the end, he could resist the promptings from heaven no longer and he gave in : he took leave of his companions in crime and went to the very place where Our Lady of Estang is honoured, offering her his prayers with endless tears and sighs, declaring himself the servant of mercies for ever.

A quarter of a league outside Auxonne, people have since ancient times been visiting a Chapel called Our Lady of la Levée which takes its name from the impressive road stretching from Auxonne to the Chapel of the Virgin. Here, pilgrims have found relief not only for their bodily afflictions but also for their spiritual needs.

In Châtillon, we can see the holy image of the Virgin at whose breasts St Bernard was once suckled and which still give milk from time time to time. This happened once some forty years ago when the statue was being carried from its position next to the Chapel’s high altar (and where she may be seen today). The priest who was carrying her found himself covered with milk.

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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