The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.82-84

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

OUR LADY OF CLOS-EVRARD, MARIENTHAL, OUR LADY OF THE THREE WHEATEARS & OUR LADY OF ALDRUN

 82   A league and a half distant from Trier is a fine little Church in a place called Clos-Evrard

There was once a vine-dresser with a strong devotion to the glorious Virgin and a great love of chastity. As part of his devotions to Our Lady, he fastened her image to a tree in a remote location. There he would frequently kneel before the image, offering his most fervent prayers to her whom the image represented. After a certain time, the Holy Virgin asked him to build a small shelter and this good man immediately fulfilled her request. With the same love that Solomon showed when constructing the Temple, he built a cabin and placed the Virgin’s image on one of the walls. News of this started to spread and people came from many places. Miracles were reported and this not only increased the numbers of people coming here but also their generosity. After a short while they had sufficient funds to build a bigger chapel. They later built a Church which was dedicated in 1449 by Jacob of Sierk, Archbishop of Trier. Finally, when the Canons Regular of St Augustine took over the site, they built a beautiful new Church which played a significant part in promoting devotion to the most glorious Virgin.

In the same city of Trier are located not only the beautiful and ancient Church of Our Lady which is next to the cathedral but also the noble and ancient monastery called Our Lady of the Granary. This name comes from what used to be the wheat granary of King Dagobert. When the site of the granary came into the hands of St Irmina, Dagobert’s daughter, she changed it into a fine monastery. She endowed it with ample revenues and she was the first Abbess. 

 83   In Alsace, we shall come across a small Church which shares the name Marienthal with the one we have already seen on the Rhine. They are both cared for Fathers of the Society of Jesus and the crowds flocking to both Churches show clearly that the Holy Virgin dispenses her favours generously at these sites. Near Colmar which is also in Alsace near the Vosges mountains, there is a Church called Our Lady of the three Wheatears;  and there is another which is one league distant from Molsheim and is called Our Lady of Aldrun, or of the Old Fountain.

OUR LADY OF THE HERMITS

 84   We shall scarcely be able to find a more famous place of devotion than the one in Switzerland called Our Lady of the Hermits. 

As proof of its holiness, we need only to consider how this Church remained standing despite all the upheavals caused by the different factions in the wars of religion. This must show that the Holy Virgin is very pleased at the way she is honoured here. In the beginning, it was no more than a tiny hermitage in the middle of a great forest, occupied by St Meinrad. The emperor Otto, following a request received from Heaven through Saints Ulrich and Conrad, caused a beautiful Church to be built around the ancient chapel in honour of the Queen of Heaven. I must not forget to mention here what happened in the year 1418 at the consecration of this Church. This is recorded by Pope Leo VIII in a Bull he published about the Church and by Conrad, Bishop of Constance. This was the Bishop who consecrated the Church and wrote a book entitled Secrets of Secrets.  

The site was under the charge of a Benedictine Abbot who had asked Bishop Conrad to come and consecrate the little Hermitage of the Virgin together with the Church surrounding it. The Bishop knew this holy site was particularly beloved of the Queen of Angels and he resolved to spend a good part of the night here, along with some religious who offered to keep him company.

They were praying fervently when towards midnight the Saviour of the world, vested in a purple chasuble, entered the little chapel. He was surrounded by Angels who incensed the altar. The four Evangelists were behind Our Lord and they removed and replaced His mitre as and when required, in accordance with the customary practice of the Church. St Peter bore the Cross and St Gregory held the flabellum. St Ambrose and St Augustine were at His sides and St Michael was the choirmaster. St Lawrence served as Deacon and St Stephen as Sub-deacon. In the midst of these shining stars was the Holy Virgin who, at the side of the altar, was as resplendent as the midsummer sun.

The ceremonies were followed after the ordinary manner of the Church but at the Sanctus, the following words were spoken: Sanctus Deus in aula gloriosæ Virginis, miserere nobis, meaning : O God, particularly Holy in the Temple of the glorious Virgin, have mercy on us. The Benedictus was sung in this manner : Benedictus Mariæ Filius in æternum regnaturus, qui venit in nomine Domini, meaning : Blessed is the Son of Mary who must reign eternally and who comes in the name of the Lord. The Agnus Dei was said in this manner :  Agnus Dei, miserere vivorum in te credentium, miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, miserere mortuorum in te pie quiescentium, miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, da pacem vivis et defunctis in te pie regnantibus, meaning : Lamb of God, have mercy on the living who believe in Thee, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, have mercy on the faithful departed who rest devotedly in Thee, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, grant peace to the living as Thou hast already given peace to the departed who reign with Thee. When Our Lord said : Dominus vobiscum, the Angels responded : Qui sedet super Cherubim, et intuetur abyssos, meaning : Who is seated above the Cherubim and who beholds and sounds the depths.

Conrad had been attentively observing all these wonders and he remained for a long time in the same spot, overcome by a feeling of deep astonishment. Meanwhile, day had dawned and noon was drawing nigh. It was high time for the consecration to commence but no-one felt able to disturb the Holy Prelate’s contemplation.

Finally, the Bishops and Abbots who had come to assist in the ceremony urged him to make a beginning, so as not to let down the devout souls who were waiting. The Holy Bishop explained to them what had happened during the night and how the chapel had been consecrated by Our Lord, but the Prelates could only laugh, thinking he must have been dreaming. As they began the liturgy of consecration, however, a voice could be heard which said three times quite distinctly: All is fine, brother, all is fine; thy chapel is already consecrated. On hearing the divine words, everyone immediately acquiesced and the Bishop contented himself with consecrating the Church around the chapel, dedicating it to St Maurice and his fellow martyrs.

Some years ago, a terrible fire ravaged a part of the forest around the holy chapel but without in any way damaging either the chapel, the Church surrounding it or even the adjoining buildings.

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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