The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 36-37

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 BUGLOSE, OUR LADY OF BUCH, OUR LADY OF POITIERS

 36   The parish of Buglose is two leagues away from the city of Acqs (Dax) which is an Episcopal see in Gascony. Around ten years ago, an image of Our Lady was miraculously found there and borne with great solemnity into the Church where it it may still be seen. Those who are served by this Church love to go there to honour the Queen of Angels and she for her part has enabled them to experience her favours. 

The chapel called Our Lady of Buch has certain features which need to be explained for it is located in the Pine forests and dunes of Guyenne, as wild and fearful a place as can be imagined. Here is the story of how it came to be:

Brother Thomas, a Franciscan Cordelier[1], had a reputation for holiness and could with good reason be called a Prophet of the evils which were to come. Shortly before the excesses of the wicked Luther started to spread, he travelled across the land preaching repentance, setting an example through the penances he himself performed and announcing the wrath of the Lord which was to come. Having arrived in Guyenne, he was led by divine inspiration to the coast and a place known locally as the Captallat of Buch. This was near Arcachon where the coast is hazardous for mariners. Suddenly he saw two ships which were being carried by the current into great danger. He fell to his knees immediately and just like St Jerome once did, traced a cross in the sand, offering up a prayer to God for the safety of those on the ships lashed by the winds and being driven onto the sands. His prayer was immediately answered, and in an instant the sea became calm. Several people were witnesses to all this.

At the same time as this happened, whether as part of the debris from a shipwreck or perhaps through a miracle, an image of the Holy Virgin was cast up on the shore. The friar picked it up and carried it to a spot where the point of the headland can be seen sloping down into the sea. There he built a chapel which can still be seen[2]. He wanted it to be made of wood so as to be easily moved should need arise because of shifting sand dunes which can fill valleys and level hills, particularly when the weather is very stormy or windy.

Since the miracle, this place has always been held in great veneration. Mariners have the habit of going there to make their devotions when they are due to set sail on a new voyage. It has also been noted that this place has never suffered from the depredations of pirates and raiders. Some years ago, an English ship moored here with the intention of carrying off booty from here, but consider how God’s justice came into effect, how His punishment followed swiftly upon their sin. The raiders took their spoils back on board ship and tried to set a course for the open sea, but despite the calm weather they hit a reef and their vessel sank. This was all in view of the holy place which had witnessed their infamous crime.

The Church in Poitiers called Our Lady the Great was founded in the following circumstances.

A young man who was on the verge of committing a sin with a young lady of light virtue asked her what her name was. When she said that her name was Mary, he immediately sent her away and God so touched his soul that he became from that moment a model of chastity. To commemorate this sudden conversion of heart, a chapel was built on the site of the young man’s house and later a beautiful Church.

Footnotes

[1] Cordeliers : Friars Minor, Fratres Minores (Ordo Fratrum Minorum — O.F.M.). In France they were usually called the Cordeliers from their rope-girdle (corde, cordelle). 

[2] Known today as la Basilique Notre-Dame d'Arcachon. See the Basilica of Our Lady of Arcachon for further information. 

OUR LADY OF LA BOISSIÈRE, OUR LADY OF LA VASSIVIÈRE, OUR LADY OF CLERMONT, OUR LADY DU PORT, OUR LADY OF PUY-DE-DÔME

 37   In Limousin you can find the chapel called Our Lady of La Boissière which I shall cover in Part II of this book[1]. In the mountains of Auvergne near Montdor, half a league from Besse, we can find Our Lady of Vassivière and the huge numbers making their way there from all parts will give us an idea not only of how holy the place is but also of the help received there from the Queen of Heaven.

It is said that in 1374 when the English were laying waste to the province of Auvergne, all that was left of Vassivière was an old wall containing a window with a niche, where the image of the Holy Virgin had been miraculously preserved. From then on, people began to notice the miracles that God was performing here and they decided to move the image to the Church in Besse. The image was, however, always found back in the original location where it still is to this day. They built first a little vaulted oratory and later a beautiful Church.

The history of Our Lady of Vassivière was printed in Lyon in 1615 and gives details of twenty-eight juridically approved miracles.  

In Clermont we shall see a noble Church dedicated to Our Lady which is a masterpiece reflecting the exceptional devotion of St Avitus, Bishop of Clermont and of St Gregory who was the fortieth Prelate of the same Church and who, after it had been sacked and burned by the Normans around 853, restored it so that it was more beautiful than before. We shall also see the ancient Church called Our Lady du Port, celebrated in the history of Auvergne. Near the same city of Clermont we shall also see in passing the Church of Our Lady du Puy-de-Dôme which is built on an eminence like the majority of places of devotion.

Footnotes

[1] Cap. 9, § 10, nº 6.

 

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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 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 33-35

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

 33   Let us proceed now to France where they have been waiting a long time for us to arrive. This is a very Christian Kingdom whose people are dear to Heaven and constitute a Nation that has always been beloved of the MOTHER OF GOD. St Bridget saw one day[1] the blessed Apostle of France, St Denis, addressing the Queen of Heaven and imploring her to come to the rescue of the Kingdom for which he had expended so much labour and effort. She also heard the Holy Virgin who received these prayers from this great defender of France with kindness and understanding. She duly consulted with her most venerable Son on this question of the French who were at that time embroiled in a violent and unrelenting war with the English. There can be no doubt that she has been doing the same thing in recent times for we have seen with our own eyes how God has come unto the aid of France, giving His support to Louis the Just[2], who is a wonder among good Kings. Indeed, the Holy Virgin has from the beginning shown a warm-hearted affection for this flourishing Kingdom and we can say quite frankly that she was moved to feel this way not only by the incomparable goodness of its people but also by the faithful service she received from all corners of France. We shall see proof of this as we visit the principal places of devotion. Let us begin with Gascony as this is the nearest province to Bearn which we have just visited. We shall discover here the most beautiful signs of the ancient devotion to the Queen of Heaven.

OUR LADY OF GARAISON (OUR LADY OF HEALING)

I am going to begin with the Church called Our Lady of Healing which is six leagues away from Tarbes, the capital of Bigorre at the frontier with Béarn and in the diocese of Auch. It is some six score years since the first foundations were laid and the story I am about to relate about the Church has been passed down from father to son[3].

A twelve year old girl was keeping watch over sheep on a moor where later the Chapel would be built. She was sitting near a spring which today is covered over by a semi-vault near the foot of the high altar. Here the MOTHER OF GOD appeared to her and asked her to pass a message to her father: he was to go to the councillors of Mont-Léon, a town which was one league away from there, and he was to tell them to build a Church in her honour on a spot she would point out. The girl was surprised but not so much that she did not feel able to tell her that she would be happy to do this provided the Lady would look after her bag and her food while she made haste to give the message to her father.

When the Lady agreed to do this, the girl ran to her father who was a good-natured man,  simple and trusting like his daughter. He believed what she told him and went to convey the message to the Councillors. Their initial reaction was to dismiss the story and send him on his way. Having been rebuffed in this manner, the father went back to his daughter who was back in the fields with her sheep. He told her what had happened and she reported this all to the MOTHER OF GOD, who immediately gave her the same commission. But before the girl set off to do what she had been asked, she took the time and trouble to check her bag and the food she had left with the Lady, because her father had asked for a share of it. Everything was now going to show the hand of Heaven’s special providence through a miracle : for, instead of the piece of bran bread she had left in the bag, she discovered a beautiful white loaf. With joy and excitement, she took this to show her father who went straight back to the Councillors, without touching the loaf. The news of this miracle spread quickly through the town and the priest in Mont-Léon made clear to the Councillors that it would be dangerous to refuse the honour and the favour being offered to the town by the Queen of Heaven. Once the Councillors had given their approval to the request, the priest led the townsfolk to the place indicated by the MOTHER OF GOD so as to erect a cross there. Following contributions received from devout supporters of the project, a little chapel was built and later a beautiful, sturdy Church. Miracles began to occur and have continued to this day, namely the healing of the sick and those suffering from other bodily infirmities. These have been so remarkable and so numerous that the Church has been called Our Lady of Healing, or in a Gascon version of the French word Guérison (which means healing), Our Lady of Garaison.

Rodez is a city in Rouergue where the Bishop has his Cathedral and there they speak highly of Our Lady of Presser where her image, frequently carried from place to place, is back now where it was first discovered.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. IV Revel., c. 10.

[2] Louis XIII, King of France and Navarre from 1610-1643.

[3] Petr. Geof., in Hist. B. Virg. Garazoniæ.

OUR LADY OF ROCAMADOUR, OUR LADY OF L’AGENOUILLADE, OUR LADY OF SIGNAC, OUR LADY OF HAUTE-FAIE & OUR LADY OF BONNE-RENCONTRE

 34   We are now going to Cahors in Quercy and thence to the ancient collegial Church of Our Lady of Rocamadour. The name amadour is said to be in memory of St Amator, the husband of St Veronica, who stayed for a time near this rock. The Church began to be famous around 1140 because of the number of miracles that were reported. Hugues Farsy, a canon from Laon in Picardy, who lived at that time, made written records of six score and seven of these miracles.

Half a league from Agde we come to Our Lady of l’Agenouillade which is in the care of Capuchin Fathers; then, in the lands held by the Viscounts of Arpajon, to Our Lady of Signac; in Agenois, to Our Lady of Haute-Faie; and near Agen, capital of Agenois, to Our Lady of Bonne-Rencontre where there is a famous pilgrimage but not on the scale of those at Loreto and Montserrat. 

This is a small Chapel where there is an image made of terracotta found some six score years ago. An ox was seen licking incessantly a certain spot among the brambles. The cowherd was curious to find out what was attracting the ox for such a long time and he came across an image of the MOTHER OF GOD. He took possession of it immediately and as soon as he got home he gave it to his mother as a present. The good woman placed it for safe-keeping in a chest with the intention of showing it to the priest. When she went to get it, however, she found the chest was empty and so they quickly went back to the place where her son had first seen it. The image was there, in the same place and position as before. This led them to realize that the Queen of Heaven had chosen to be honoured at that particular spot. This in turn led a number of people to show their devotion by building a chapel which today is served by Fathers of the Third Order of St Francis who have collected the details of this history.

OUR LADY OF THE FEUILLANTS, OUR LADY OF GIMONT & OUR LADY OF BORDELAIS

 35   Five leagues from Toulouse we find the Church called Our Lady of the Feuillants but also known as Our Lady of Charity. The building belongs to the Feuillant Fathers and is located under the bell tower The site once belonged to a Cistercian Abbey but today it is the motherhouse for the Congregation of Feuillants[1] who follow the order of St Bernard. A great many miracles have been reported but here is one that holds a special place in the accounts:

The inhabitants of this village had almost all left in order to join battle with those of a neighbouring village called Bérat to resolve differences over their respective boundaries. The Cistercian religious set out at the same time with their image of Our Lady with the aim of trying to make peace between the parties. The image of the Holy Virgin could be seen weeping profusely and everyone was taken aback. As soon as they arrived at the place where the battle was due to be fought, the religious placed the image between the opposing parties and began to sing. The verses and responses of the praises to Our Lady were heard coming from each side and this so moved the hearts of those present that instead of coming to blows they embraced each another and made a pact which has been respected ever since. Immediately after this, the face of the image changed and the tears were replaced by smiles.

Five or six leagues distant from the Feuillants village, we find Our Lady of Gimont in a Cistercian Church where they also tell of miracles God worked through the intercession of the Holy Virgin. I have no intention of describing Our Lady of Auch, nor several other beautiful Churches dedicated to the Holy Virgin in various other places, because this is something very common in France. I will say only that the Archdiocese of Auch is unusual in that all its cathedrals as well as countless other Churches are dedicated to Our Lady. In Bordeaux, which is the capital of Guyenne, we can see signs of the remarkable devotion of Leo XIII, Archbishop of this same city. According to the verse written by the learned Bishop of Poitiers, he restored a Church damaged by fire and made it more beautiful than it was before. He then consecrated it to the MOTHER OF GOD.

In the Church of St Andrew you will come across the beautiful and inspired chapel of Our Lady which was built by Cardinal de Sourdis, Archbishop of Bordeaux. Numerous miracles continue to be reported here to this day.

On the banks of the river Garonne, near St Macaire there is a  little chapel in the midst of the fields called Our Lady of Bordelais which is cared for by the Celestine Fathers. It was built according to one tradition by a Lady of Candale in pursuance of a vow she took and was immediately honoured with a stream of favours pouring down from Heaven. The flow was interrupted for a time by the savage assaults of heretics but it has been restored around five years ago, as appears from what has been written recently on the subject.

Footnotes

[1] The Cistercians who, about 1145, founded an abbey in a leaf valley in the Diocese of Rieux (now Toulouse) named it Fuliens, later Les Feuillans or Notre-Dame des Feuillans (Latin folium, leaf), and the religious were soon called Feuillants (Latin Fulienses) [Cath. Encyclopedia]

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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 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 31-32

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 SARRANCE

 31  We now travel to the mountains of Bearn in the Diocese of Oleron which is within the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Navarre and not far from the kingdom of Aragon. Our destination is a place of devotion popularly known as Our Lady of Sarrance, which is under the care of the Premonstratensian Order. This place has been inundated for the last four hundred years with pilgrims coming from all parts. Amongst those who have witnessed or have been touched by the numerous miracles occurring here are the Kings of Aragon and Navarre, who demonstrated their deep affection for the site by building a house where they might go when paying devotional visits. The Church of Our Lady is located at the foot of a high mountain which is surrounded by several other lofty peaks. To reach the summit of the lowest amongst these takes a day’s journey. The ancient tradition of devotion has diminished over the last fifty years because Joan, Queen of Navarre, sought to rid Bearn of the Catholic Religion. Today we are see a re-awakening of devotion thanks to the zeal of our glorious and invincible Louis of eternal memory. His victorious armies penetrated this region and re-established the practice of the Faith which had been banished.

OUR LADY OF BETHARAM

 32   In the aforementioned country of Bearn is the Diocese of Lascar which has a chapel called Our Lady of the Calvary of Betharam. Its importance derives from its situation and the great wonders God has performed there rather than from the grandeur of its architecture. It was built around one hundred and forty years ago and its story has been handed down by the elders of the neighbouring village of Etelle who would have heard it from their fathers.

Some shepherds were leading their flocks through the rocks at the foot of a mountain on the banks of the river Gave, which has its source in the Pyrenees and crosses the whole of Bearn. In the same place as may today be found the high Altar of the Chapel, they saw a mysterious light and, running towards it, they came across a beautiful image of Our Lady. The news spread quickly around the village and it was decided to prepare a place worthy of this miraculous image. The place where it had been found was judged unsuitable because of the rocks and so an oratory was built opposite, on the other side of the Gave and which can be seen today at the end of the bridge. But no matter how many times they tried to instal the image in the oratory, the image returned to the spot where it had been found. This was an evident sign that God had chosen this place to honour His Mother. Accordingly, they found a means of building a Chapel there in her honour and immediately it was as if a spring of superabundant graces had opened up. Pilgrims began to arrive at the Chapel from all parts and there were some who, arriving in sight of the Chapel, finished their pilgrimage on their knees, with lighted candles in their hands so as to render homage to the Queen of Heaven and earth. This continued and the numbers increased up until the time when Count Montgommery, like a Satan unchained at the head of an army of demons, arrived in Bearm where he destroyed the Holy places. The venerable Chapel of Our Lady was sacked by him and his vile gang and all that was left were the walls which had survived the flames. Now, while the Chapel was in this sorry state, people began to notice light inside during the night as if there were lamps and lighted torches; and they could hear voices and the harmonies of music. This continued until, thanks to the late Jean de Sallettes, Bishop of Lascar, who was a Prelate of signal piety and learning, the Chapel was restored and the Holy Mass re-established in the year 1615.

That was the year when the flame of devotion that heresy had extinguished was relit and blazed more ardently and gloriously than before. The fountains of grace which had been stopped up began to flow again but now more abundantly than ever before. This moved the metropolitan Archbishop of Auch, Léonard de Trappes, to pay an official visit in the following year with a pomp reflecting the re-found devotion. He was accompanied by a large number of Ecclesiastics and Religious from the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Pé, about one league away. There was a formal procession on foot by the Archbishop, his clergy and all the Catholic nobility from the country, as well as countless ordinary people who turned up from all the neighbouring parishes carrying crosses and banners. They filled the air with the echoes of their chants, their hymns and their canticles, all in honour of the glorious MOTHER OF GOD. This most worthy Prelate celebrated a sung Mass with great devotion and placed the image on the high Altar, where it can be seen to this day in the place where the first one stood before it was taken by a worthy priest into protection from Montgommery’s soldiers and removed to the nearest town in Spain.

The Prelate demonstrated his devotion to this site, which he maintained until the day of his death, by bequeathing in his will a silver lamp with a legacy to pay for it be kept burning night and day before the aforesaid image. His wish has been faithfully respected by his successors. This devotion was cultivated over several years by pious priests and was eventually entrusted to the direction of Fr Bequel, Chaplain of Our Lady of Garaison and later Priest in Montant, near the Chapel. The numbers of people coming daily continued to increase and Fr Charpentier, a secular Priest whose virtue and piety were known at various places in France, was pressed into taking over the management of the site. He arrived in 1621 and, having considered the mountain at whose foot the Chapel was located and the link with Calvary, he brought together devotion to the Cross and devotion to Our Lady by planting three large crosses on the summit of the mountain, with the figures of Our Lord and the two thieves. He also built a chapel with two cells on the sides in which the Holy Sepulchre may be seen. On the slopes of the mountain are several stations which represent the mysteries of the Sacred Passion of the Son of God which preceded the Crucifixion. These were made possible by the alms given by the king, queens, the eldest brother of the king and several other personages.

This Calvary is so ornate and worthy of veneration that it is not possible to find another anywhere that is more beautiful or filled with consolation. There is no heart so hard that could not be moved by something so replete with the spirit of devotion. This is continually fostered by the exercises practised by the Priests who are resident there and live in a well-regulated community established by the Bishop of Lascar and by Henri de Sallettes, his nephew and successor, under the direction of the present superior, Fr Charpentier.

It is wonderful to see a goodly number of Hermitages scattered amidst the rocks of this mountain, serving as places of retreat not only for pilgrims but also for those in the house who want to spend time in spiritual exercises. I am indebted to monsieur de la Vie, first president of the Pau Parliament, for two wonderful comments about this place that I heard from his own mouth. The first concerns the local river Gave. From its source to the point where it joins the river Adour takes three days. Its flow is so rapid that it has never been possible to navigate it, but as soon as it comes near to the Chapel and for as long as it takes to pass by, it slows down and becomes calm – as though honouring thereby the place where the Queen of the world is adored. The second comment was that the Parish of l’Étoile where she is enthroned was the only one in Bearn where the Catholic Religion was maintained intact during all the difficulties and troubles. Not one person ever became a Huguenot, notwithstanding the sufferings and persecutions endured by so many in this respect for the space of some fifty years.  The Holy Virgin helped these devout parishioners, holding them by the hand. In Navarre we shall focus on the noble and ancient Church called Our Lady of Nagora. I shall cover this later when discussing the Order of the Lily

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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 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 26-30

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

Spain

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

 26  The votive tablets which hang on all sides in the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe are unquestionable proof not only of the great favours bestowed by the MOTHER OF GOD on those who entrust themselves to her in their needs but also of the exceptional devotion of the people here. Here is the history of how this Church came to be built[1].

The great Pope St Gregory had a particular admiration for Leander, Archbishop of Seville, which he showed in various ways but especially in dedicating to him the book of moral commentaries he wrote on Job. He also sent him a beautiful statue of Our Lady which was held in great affection by the faithful in Seville and was greatly esteemed thereafter because of the endless succession of miracles associated with the statue. When the Moors occupied Spain, the people of Seville hid the statue in a cave along with the body of St Fulgentius, Bishop of Écija and brother of St Leander, where they remained for thirteen hundred years. At the end of this time, the MOTHER OF GOD wanted to renew the ancient miracles and she revealed to a shepherd the whereabouts of this double treasure. She asked him to bring the Clergy of the town of Cáceres and show them where the cave was and she promised him that there they would find her image as well. In order that the shepherd would have faith in her words, she told him that he would find a little child had died when he got back to his home but that he would come back to life when touched by the image. On returning home the Shepherd found his grandson had died and he took this as proof of the truth of what he had seen and heard. Confident in the rest of the Lady’s message, he went to tell the Clergy who realized that the fulfilment of the message given to the Shepherd meant it must have come from Heaven. The decision was immediately taken to build a Chapel here and it was soon visited by countless pilgrims and honoured by numerous miracles.

Later, King Alfonso XI ordered the building of a beautiful Church where he sponsored the celebration of a Mass in perpetuity. Today it is maintained by the Hieronymite Order to whom it was assigned by King Juan I of Castile.

Footnotes

[1] Joann. Mariana, lib. VI de Rebus Hispaniæ.

[Note from translator: 

"So the Shrine came into existence at Guadalupe and became one of the most important pilgrimage places of Spain. It was at the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe that Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand thanked God and Our Lady – often called La Victoriosa – for the successful completion of La Reconquista on January 1, 1492. There they also commissioned the expedition of Christopher Columbus, who prayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe before setting out on his voyage. Cortés and Pizarro also made a pilgrimage there before their historic voyages, as did the Franciscan Friar Zumárraga – who would become the Bishop of Mexico City – before he set out for the New World. Columbus, and later the conquistadores, carried a replica of the image with them on their journeys, and the missionaries who accompanied these men to the newly occupied countries, particularly Mexico, spread the veneration of the Virgen de Guadalupe wherever they went. This probably inspired Bishop Zumárraga, after the apparitions on the hill of Tepeyac, to name the new Shrine in Mexico in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain. The new Guadalupe in Mexico was eventually to surpass its prototype in importance and renown.

Columbus would return to the Spanish Guadalupe with the first Native American converts he had brought back from the New World, so that they could be baptized under Our Lady's patronage. When Cortés returned from the New World, he spent nine days at the Shrine of Extremadura in prayer, thanksgiving and abundant alms for the poor.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain has distinctive mixed Moorish and Spanish characteristics. It is interesting to note that the name Guadalupe – where the casket and the image had been found – is also a mixed Arab-Latin word meaning River of the Wolf; for Extremadura for centuries – particularly during the Middle Ages – was infested with wolves. During the Moorish rule, the place had been called Wadi'l-lubb. The first part of the name, Wadi, is an Arab word for river or valley; the second part is said to come from the Latin lupus (wolf).

The statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was canonically crowned by Pope Pius XI on October 12, 1928, during a ceremony attended by King Alfonso XIII. In 1955 Pope Pius XII declared the church of the Royal Monastery to be a Minor Papal Basilica."

See: SalveMariaRegina for further information and images.]

OUR LADY OF THE ROCK OF FRANCE (NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA PEÑA DE FRANCIA)

 27   It would be a great mistake for us to omit mention of a very famous location in the Diocese of Salamanca which recalls the devotion of our ancestors and which is known as Our Lady of the Rock of France, because it is situated  on a mountain of the same name.

This Church is celebrated throughout Spain because of the great favours it has received from Heaven. Old manuscripts of the Church tell the story of a man called Simon Vela, originally known as Simon Vêlé who came from Paris. After the death of his mother and father, he distributed all his goods among the poor and retired to a monastery as a member of the Third Order of St Francis, without taking the habit. During his time there, he was told on two separate occasions in dreams to travel to the West and find an image of the Queen of Heaven on a mountain called Peñafrancia (Rock of France). To this end, he spent five whole years travelling across France but without finding anything. 

He then decided to cross over into Spain and visit the noble Church of St James in Galicia. He prayed incessantly to the MOTHER OF GOD, asking her to lead him to the treasure he was seeking. Whilst he was in Salamanca, he received directions for the mountain he was trying to find. Being transported, he fell into a gentle sleep and the Queen of Angels appeared to him, surrounded by light. She told him how to find the image that she wanted to be honoured on the crest of this mountain. This took place on Wednesday the 19th of May 1430. Simon, who was then forty-nine years old, dug in the spot which had been shown to him and, having found the image, he constructed a shelter for it made from branches. Eventually, miracles began to occur and the news caused people to come here from all parts. Their generosity enabled Simon to build a Chapel on the site. Some time later, King Juan II of Castile ordered the building of a beautiful Church here which he entrusted to the Dominican Fathers. 

Simon laboured unceasingly in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and after his death at the age of fifty-three he was laid to rest most honourably in an attractive chapel next to the high Altar.

OUR LADY OF ALBEZA & OTHER CHURCHES DEDICATED TO OUR LADY

 28   In the Diocese of Braganza all the talk is about a Church called Our Lady of Albeza where the Queen of Angels has been pleased to give many proofs of her favour. In Madrid there is stiff competition from Our Lady of Atocha which is outside the city walls. In Cordoba, people are very proud of Our Lady of the Holy Font which is where Fr Thomas Sanchez, one of the learned writers of our time, would always spend his first day every time he went on a journey to Cordoba. In Valencia there is a chapel dedicated to the Virgin called Our Lady of the Forsaken. It contains an image of the Virgin of the same name housed in a cabinet and whenever someone is drowned or murdered the sound of knocking can be heard in the cabinet. The local inhabitants are used to this and can now identify the signs showing where to find the dead body or the place where the murder has been committed. Blessed Gaspar the Good, a monk of the Order of Minims, was devoted to this Chapel and went there often.

OUR LADY OF MONTSERRAT

 29   The Church of Our Lady of Montserrat in Catalonia is one of the foremost in the world for devotion and is so famous that there is nowhere in Christendom that has not heard of it. The history of the site was written in 1600 and dedicated to Henry the Great by the Religious of the Monastery which adjoins the Church. This history and the memoirs of several reputable authors tell the following story:

In the year 890 on a Saturday evening some shepherds were meeting together on the mountain when suddenly they saw lights being brought down from on high into a certain cave and they then saw a multitude of Angels coming down from Heaven. They made the cave and the whole mountain resound to their Celestial music.

If ever there were men utterly astounded it was these poor shepherds who were rendered speechless and did not know what to think. As soon as they were back in their homes they described everything they had seen and heard to their families, their friends and to anyone they met. The result was that the following Saturday people flocked to the mountain from all parts to witness the miracle. Their hopes were not misplaced for at the same hour as before, after the sun had set, they saw the lights and the heard the music. They went back to their homes in a spirit of holy and devout astonishment. 

The matter reached the ears of the Bishop of Barcelona who, having witnessed for himself what happened, assembled his clergy and they came in procession in order to take the image of Our Lady from the cave where it had been found and to carry it to the Cathedral where it might be housed more fittingly. They honoured the image in a way no different from the Angels. There was a procession headed by the Cross, followed by the Clergy and then came the Bishop who went into the cave.  He picked up the image and was able to walk a few steps out of the cave but then found it impossible to go any further. Everyone took this to mean that Our Lady wanted to be honoured and served in this particular spot and that she did not wish to leave the cave. Accordingly, the Bishop ordered a beautiful Church to be built there and it immediately became famous for the countless miracles that occurred.

 30   Around this mountain may be seen thirteen Hermitages dedicated to various Saints as well as a beautiful Monastery dedicated to Our Lady by Godfrey of Pelaia the Count of Barcelona a short while after the discovery of the image. Here is the story:

There was a young lady possessed by an evil spirit which was cast out of her by an anchorite called Juan Guerin who lived in the vicinity. The spirit then directed its attentions to the hermit and caused more trouble to him than it had to the girl, for he became prey to terrible temptations which took away his strength of will and led him to lust after the girl. Now, as one sin leads to another, having committed the first sin with her he then fell into despair. It was while reduced into this state that his troubled spirit led him to think his only option was to get rid of the poor girl. Having done this, he buried her in a hidden place on the mountain. 

After a certain time had passed, as his conscience would give him no respite from his shame and guilt, he sought out the Bishop and confessed his sins. He received a penance which was to lasyt seven years and he began it like a second Nabuchodonosor, crawling on his hands and knees  to eat grass in the fields. Not satisfied with this, he went to Count Godfrey and confessed his double crime against the person of his daughter. He offered to do anything he might require by way of satisfaction. The father asked to be taken to the place where his daughter had been buried. They went and opened the tomb. They found the young lady was alive and well; she prostrated herself at the feet of her father  and begged forgiveness for her sin. The father was delirious with joy, raised her up, embraced her and wanted to take her back home. But she would hear none of this and, on the contrary, asked affectionately to be allowed to spend the remainder of her days in the same place serving the MOTHER OF GOD from whom she had received life twice over. The father consented to her request and built this beautiful Monastery for a community of Benedictine Sisters, of whom she was chosen as the first Abbess. She lived and died there in a most saintly manner.

Several centuries later, as the numbers of pilgrims to the site kept increasing, the Bishop of Barcelona decided it was not prudent for these sisters to be exposed to such crowds in such a lonely place. Accordingly, he built a house for them in the city and transferred the Monastery to Benedictine monks who have maintained it with a great reputation for holiness. The Holy Fathers John II, Boniface VIII, Benedict XIII and Nicholas V, as well as many others, have honoured this house with great privileges and enriched it with several apostolic blessings.

Our Lady of Montserrat
Misburg3014, CC BY-SA 3.0

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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 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 24-25

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

Spain

OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR, OUR LADY OF CASTELBRUEDO & OUR LADY OF THE CROSS

 24  Let us now proceed to Spain and we shall begin by discovering traces of the ancient devotion of this Kingdom towards the MOTHER OF GOD as shown in the history of Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa and by what happened to St James the Apostle.

 

This great servant of God had been sent to Spain following the special commission of Our Lady. He worked as hard as he could to spread the word about His master’s glory but his efforts were almost fruitless since in all the time he spent there he converted only nine people. He was lamenting this to his companions one day on the bank of the river Ebro when he suddenly saw Our Lady, who was still living at this time. She had been carried there by the ministry of Angels and she stood before him now on a pillar of jasper, consoling him and promising him that what he himself had been unable to do would be achieved by means of his successors. He should no longer feel sad and frustrated because she had taken this Kingdom under her personal protection as would become clear.  This message gave encouragement to the Holy Apostle and he pursued his mission with greater fervour still, building this Church which still stands, despite all the damage that was done throughout Spain by the various waves of Barbarians who occupied it at various times.

I am aware that there are learned men who have serious doubts about this history but I have found it supported by so many authors of quality that it would be quite improper to disavow them all or to go against the reasons they adduce. It would be impossible to recount, moreover, how many times the Virgin gave proof of her promises and the particular favours received by the people of Saragossa.

Jerónimo Blancas relates how one day she delivered them from the Saracens who had already managed to breach the defences.

In the year 718 Pelagius, who was formerly chief of King Theodoric’s forces, tried to escape the fury of a Saracen army by seeking refuge in a cave on a mountain near Astorga with a small detachment of Goths. There, they were besieged and urged to surrender, but he proclaimed that his wish was to re-establish with this little group of men both the faith and the Gothic nation in Spain. The Barbarians who were present in huge numbers launched countless volleys of arrows and rocks at them but the Goths hurled them back upon the Saracens. So many Saracens were wounded[1] and terror so gripped their army that they fled. Some were killed by the Goths who pursued them, some were hanged on the mountain and some were drowned. This shows the courage which the MOTHER OF GOD inspired in them and the terror with which she filled the hearts of their foes.

On another occasion when King Alfonso was giving battle to the Moors and the Saracens, the Queen of Heaven put such dread into the Barbarians that the mere sight of her banner born before the Spanish army was enough to lead to their total rout.

Seasoned travellers in Spain will know about Our Lady of Toledo where the glorious Virgin once presented a beautiful white chasuble to the Archbishop, St Ildephonsus, as I shall explain later. They will also know of Our Lady of Oviedo, of Seville, of León, of Barcelona, of Murcia, of Huesca, of Zuñeda, Our Lady of Mercy, of the Hospitals at Toledo, Alcala and many other places that attest to the fervour this nation has for honouring the MOTHER OF GOD.

Our Lady of Castelbruedo which is in Oliana near the river Segre in Catalonia is celebrated for a wonder that is witnessed every year on the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. Three blue lights can be seen coming up from the island in the river Segre near the Church. They shine through the windows of the Church and are able to light the lamps and candles. They then return whence they came and immediately disappear.  

Our Lady of the Cross is half a league away from Cubas, a small town five leagues from Madrid. It was here that Our Lady appeared as many as nine times to a little girl called Inés who was only three years old. On the last occasion she herself planted the Cross which has been found in the place where she indicated she wished to be served. This is explained at greater length in the life of the blessed Juana of the Cross.

Footnotes

[1] Rodericus Ximenes, de Rebus Hispaniæ, lib. VII, c. 36.

OUR LADY OF LA GARDIA, OF PUCHA & OF NIEVA

 25   In the Kingdom of Aragon, we will be shown the beautiful Church of Our Lady of Valvanera which I shall cover more fully in Part Three when discussing Philip II. It was built to house an image of the Holy Virgin that was found in an oak tree, surrounded by a swarm of honey bees that had made a little niche for it. 

In the same Kingdom there are few things more celebrated than the Church of Our Lady of La Guardia, so-called following an accident which befell a woman whose son was saved miraculously by Our Lady. He had fallen into a well and when his mother found out she turned to the glorious Virgin, imploring her to bring her son safely back. Scarcely had she finished her prayer when the water rose up to the top of the well, carrying the child still alive and lifting him over the parapet. The poor afflicted mother took him into her arms with a thousand thanks.

Around the time that King James of Aragon established the Military Order for the Redemption of Captives in 1223, the glorious Virgin wished to show her approval of this new order by allowing them to take possession of an image of her which was found miraculously not far from the town of Pucha which is in the kingdom of Valencia. Over the course of several days people could see seven stars which came down to that place and filled it with a wondrous light. They decided to dig in the earth at that spot and they found a beautiful image of the Holy Virgin. Bernardo Cornez writes in the tenth book of his History of Spain that the Holy Virgin gave them to understand that she wanted them to build a Church on the same spot where they found the image. He then adds that they dug deep into the soil and found the ruins of an old Church with a great bell, a beautiful marble altar two cubits tall on which an image had been engraved of the Holy Virgin. Various inscriptions and other evidence indicated that this was a Church of Our Lady used over five hundred years previously by monks of the Benedictine Order and that it had been sacked by the Saracens when they were occupying Spain. King James ordered a beautiful Church to be built on the ruins of the old one and the image of the Holy Virgin was placed upon it. This saw the start of countless miracles which have not ceased to this day.

In Nieva which is in the Kingdom of Castille, an image of the Holy Virgin was found in1400[1]. Miracles soon started to occur here and as access became easier so many came that eventually a fine town grew up around the site. Queen Catherine of Castile also commissioned the building of a Church here to increase devotion to the blessed Virgin.

Footnotes

[1] Mariana, lib. XIX, c. 10 de Rebus Hispaniæ.

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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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5. 19-23

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

Portugal cont'd.

OUR LADY OF THE GROTTO

 19  In the diocese of Lamego[1], there is nothing more famous than the Church of Our Lady of the Grotto, where God has worked so many miracles that they would fill a whole book. The Grotto which gives its name to the Church can still be seen, together with the image of Our Lady that was found there. It is made from four large rocks that form a vault in a remarkable manner. What seems unbelievable is that although the centre of the vault is so low that it touches the celebrant’s head at Mass, the keystone is higher and allows enough space for the elevation of the Host after the consecration. What makes the miracle even more striking is that this stone is very heavy and seems to be unsupported by the others. It remains stable and solid in such a way that everyone is convinced there is an invisible hand holding it in place.

Footnotes

[1] Vasconcellius.

OUR LADY OF THE SLAIN

 20   On the banks of the river Mondego in the diocese of Coimbra, not far from a Cistercian monastery at Lorban, we shall find a Chapel called Our Lady of the Slain which has a miraculous origin. I shall present its story as it is found written in the archives of the monastery and in the reports by Doctor Bernard the Breton[1] and by Portuguese chroniclers[2]:

During the time the Moors occupied Spain, there were only certain places where Christians were permitted to practise their religion, provided they paid the necessary tribute. Included among these was Lorban, a very ancient monastery founded in the time of St Benedict, where people would withdraw from life to attend to their salvation. Among others who bade farewell to the world in this manner was Prince Juan, uncle of Alfonso and Ramiro, Kings of Leon. Before making this holy resolution, he had been involved in military exploits and had won many famous victories. After a certain time, he was made abbot of the Monastery and King Alfonso his nephew gave him Montemayor as a source of food supplies not only for his monks but also for the upkeep of soldiers whose presence was needed as this site was an important defensive stronghold. 

The devil was greatly displeased by the Prince’s holy undertaking and started to provoke him and awaken the warrior’s instinct in him. This is what happened. A certain man had become a Christian in Montemayor and been treated with remarkable acts of friendship and kindness by Abbot Juan. Despite this, the man took himself off to Abderamexès, a Moor who claimed to be King of Cordoba, and he obtained from him a company of soldiers to attack Montemayor where he knew the layout of the defences and where he knew the Abbot happened to be. This renegade Christian had the worse of several encounters but finally resolved to starve the besieged into surrender. In fact, he reduced them to such an extremity that he made them take an unheard of decision : they decided to kill all the women and children who were inside the besieged fort so as to spare them the cruelties of the Mahometans; after that, they would set fire to all that was most beautiful and most precious.

If their decision was a severe one, the way they put it into execution was no less so, for the Abbot was constrained to kill a sister and his little nephews that he had with him. After this, filled with rage and fury, they poured out of the fort and hurled themselves upon the Saracens until they were exhausted and could kill no more. They spent that night in the open air, surveying the booty they had acquired but also grieving and lamenting their misfortune and the excesses they had committed. 

At the sounding of reveille next morning, two well-mounted horsemen approached them so wild with excitement and happiness that the plain resounded to their cries. They explained that by a miracle God had brought back to life all those of their own whom they had slain the previous day. Nobody would believe this without seeing them with their own eyes, but when they finally saw those whom they had put to death and when they had seen the red marks where they had struck them, their sadness was transformed into joy and everywhere all that could be heard were their prayers of thanksgiving and the blessings they offered up to His divine Majesty. 

As far as the Abbot was concerned, he had no doubts but that this was favour from the Queen of Angels, to whom he felt a great devotion and to whom he was indebted in a thousand ways. This made him resolve to build for her a chapel on the exact spot where the horsemen had brought the good news. It would have a little Hermitage where he would thenceforth consecrate himself to the service of God and His holy Mother. To this end, he commissioned a wooden image of the Holy Virgin with a red line on the neck to commemorate the blessing he had received from her. There are some who are convinced that the image was sent to him from Heaven marked in this manner, as may seen to this day. The Abbot lived a holy life for the space of several years before falling very ill. During this illness, he received every sort of service and help from his monks who wanted to convey him to the monastery so that he might be interred there more honourably than where he was. They were unable to put their plan into action, however, and they came to realize that the Holy Virgin wanted him close to herself in death as in life. Accordingly, they laid him to rest in the chapel that he had built. His remains have been preserved and it can be seen that they are massive, indicating he was a giant of a man.

Footnotes

[1] II parte, Monarch. et Chronici Cister., lib. VI, c. 27 et 28.

[2] Vasconcellius, in Descriptione Regni Lusitanici, etc.

OUR LADY OF THE FORESTS

 21   I would rightly be criticised if I were to pass over in silence the city of Oporto since it belongs to the MOTHER OF GOD. The great Church here, called Our Lady of the Forests, is especially dedicated to her and the pilgrims who flock here from all parts attest to the pleasure she derives from being thus honoured. Queen Mafalda, wife of King Alfonso, could not visit this Church enough and offer her reverence not only because of the majestic beauty of her image but also because it was she herself who had found the image in a forest where it is believed to have been hidden at the time of the Gothic invasion of Spain and Portugal. The Church occupies the  highest point of the city where there had once been a fort.

 

👆[ GNU Free Documentation License.]  This inspired the citizens of Oporto to choose for their coat of arms the Queen of Heaven between two towers, signifying that they regarded her as their tower, their citadel and their fort, providing them with their only defence and protection after God Himself.

Because I need to keep this discussion brief, I will have to pass over Churches such as Our Lady of the Sierra and of the River, near Braganza; Our Lady of the Remedies near Algazilla; Our Lady La Blanca and Our Lady of Branquiera in Braga, and many others. This means I can say a word or two about Our Lady of Jerusalem and Our Lady of Light.

OUR LADY OF JERUSALEM

 22   Our Lady of Jerusalem is not far from Montecorvo and it takes its name from the fact that it was built as a copy of a chapel dedicated to the Virgin which was in Jerusalem but which was totally destroyed by the Mahometans.

The Holy Virgin herself provided the plan because of the sadness she felt at seeing the ruin of her chapel. She appeared to a mute women who was watching over cattle and told her to find a certain priest and show him by signs that he was to build a Chapel on the spot shown to him. She also told her that once her commission had been carried out, she would regain her speech. Once the priest had understood what the good lady was trying to communicate to him, he set out obediently to follow her to the place where the Virgin wanted the Chapel to be built. Without being seen by the priest, the MOTHER OF GOD then guided the steps of the mute woman and she traced out the plan of the Chapel. Once this had been done, the woman recovered her power of speech and immediately began to speak. This inspired the priest to complete the work that had been started.

The strongest proof that this story of Our Lady’s appearance is the endless succession of miracles which then started to occur there.

OUR LADY OF LIGHT

 23   The Chapel of Our Lady of Light is near Cos in the Diocese of Leiria. Its history is linked to what I have just recounted and everywhere it seems that Heaven appreciates simple and open natures.

There was once a woman called Catherine who went out to gather wood in a nearby forest and who was favoured with a visitation by the MOTHER OF GOD, who said to her:

“Catherine, dost thou want me to help thee?”

The old woman did not take much notice of the Virgin’s words, but as she was making ready to leave, the gentle Mother came forward a second time to help show her the way. But the woman’s reaction was the same as before and she said she knew the way well enough. Then the Virgin approached her a third time and wanted to give her a key that the woman had lost in the wood. Catherine’s response was the same as before. The MOTHER OF GOD accompanied by St Martha then approached for a fourth time, surrounded by light. She returned the key to her and taking her by the hand told her she was the Queen of Heaven. Then, she told Catherine to put down her bundle and to help dig in the soil to find a spring. Very soon after they had started to do this, they found a wondrous spring of crystal clear water. This reassured the old woman and she began to have faith in what the Holy Virgin had been telling her. The Virgin asked her to tell everyone about this miracle but Catherine was most unwilling, saying she would just earn their mockery. In fact, the exact opposite occurred, for the news reached the ears of the Bishop of Leiria. He wanted to make contact with the poor woman when he learned that a cripple she had led to the spring and washed with its waters had been immediately cured. This gave credence to what she had been telling everyone and after that countless sick people recovered their health. The old woman was supported until she died thanks to the charity of some devout Ladies and she was laid to rest in front of the altar of the exceedingly beautiful and magnificent chapel that was built on the site.

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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