A few years later, from February 11 to July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary was pleased, as a new favor, to manifest herself in the territory of the Pyrenees to a pious and pure child of a poor, hardworking, Christian family.
To mention but a single instance, everyone is familiar today with the "miraculous medal." This medal, with its image of "Mary conceived without sin," was revealed to a humble daughter of Saint Vincent de Paul whom We had the joy of inscribing in the catalogue of Saints, and it has spread its spiritual and material wonders everywhere.ġ0. In many ways the nineteenth century was to become, after the turmoil of the Revolution, a century of Marian favors. It is a wonderful litany of invocations whose unceasing recital tells, from province to province, the blessings which the Mother of God has bestowed on the land of France through the ages.ĩ. Or he implores the intercession of Notre Dame des Vertus, des Miracles, or des Victoires. Elsewhere the pilgrim's prayer rises to Notre Dame de Lumiere, de Paix, de Joie, or d'Esperance. There the pilgrim seeks refuge near Notre Dame de la Garde, de Pitié, or de Consolation. Here they invoke Notre Dame de Miséricorde, de Toute Aide, de Bon Secours. Princes and shepherds of souls and the faithful without number have come to these shrines through the centuries, to the holy Virgin whom they have greeted with titles expressive of their hope or gratitude.Ĩ.
In the cities and the countryside, on the hilltops and overlooking the sea, shrines consecrated to Mary - whether humble chapels or splendid basilicas - little by little enfolded the country in their protective shadow. They bear witness above all to the faith of a people which outdid itself in a magnificent display of energy, erecting against the sky of France the permanent homage of its devotion to Mary.ħ.
LOURDES MANIFEST WINDOWS
With their spires upthrust they announce from afar the glory of the Immaculate they heighten its splendor in the pure light of their stained-glass windows and in the harmonious beauty of their statues. The Middle Ages, which, especially through Saint Bernard, sang Mary's glory and celebrated her mysteries, witnessed a marvelous flowering of French cathedrals dedicated to our Lady: Le Puy, Rheims, Amiens, Paris, and so many others. Devotion to the Mother of God dates back to the early days of France's evangelization, and Chartres, one of the most ancient Marian shrines, still attracts a great number of pilgrims, including thousands of young people.Ħ. This truth is brought into sharp relief by reflection on the history of France. Every Christian land is a Marian land there is not a nation redeemed in the blood of Christ which does not glory in proclaiming Mary its Mother and Patroness.
We wish to invite all Our children to renew in this jubilee year their confident and generous devotion to her who, in the words of Saint Pius X, deigned to establish at Lourdes "the seat of her immense kindness."ĥ. We wish to join with you, Beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, in thanking God for the great favor granted your country, and for the many graces He has bestowed on multitudes of pilgrims during the past century.Ĥ. We are particularly pleased, therefore, to learn that, on the initiative of the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, this Marian city is preparing an appropriate celebration for the centenary of the apparitions of the Immaculate Virgin at the grotto of Massabielle, and that an international committee has been set up for this purpose under the presidency of His Eminence Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals.ģ. IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEEĭeep in our soul are profound and pleasant memories of the pilgrimage to Lourdes which We had the privilege of making when We went to preside, in the name of Our Predecessor, Pius XI, over the Eucharistic and Marian celebrations marking the close of the Jubilee of the Redemption.Ģ. TO THE CARDINALS, ARCHBISHOPS, AND BISHOPS OF FRANCE WARNING AGAINST MATERIALISM ON THE CENTENARY
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