Our Lady of Pellevoisin
| Our Lady of Pellevoisin | |
|---|---|
|
Notre-Dame de Pellevoisin | |
| Location | Pellevoisin, France |
| Date | 14 February to 8 December, 1876 |
| Shrine | Sanctuary of the All-Merciful Mother of Pellevoisin |
Pellevoisin is a small town in Berry, in the centre of France, to the west of Châteauroux, in the Catholic Archdiocese of Bourges.[1]:2
In the year 1876, a domestic servant, Estelle Faguette, claimed to receive a series of 15 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the course of which she recovered from a serious illness. In 1983, Archbishop Vignancour of Bourges formally declared that this cure was inexplicable in the light of present-day medical science, and that the Estelle’s cure could rightly be regarded as a miracle by Catholics.
As early as December 8 in the year of the apparitions, the room that had been Estelle’s bedroom was transformed into an oratory, and Pellevoisin rapidly became a place of pilgrimage - the shrine of Our Lady of Pellevoisin. The Catholic Church has never made a formal pronouncement on the status of the alleged apparitions but has continued to encourage these pilgrimages.
A distinctive feature of the reported events of Pellevoisin is the Virgin Mary’s request for use of a Scapular of the Sacred Heart.
Estelle Faguette
Estelle Faguette was born 12 September 1843 at Saint-Memmie near Châlons-sur-Marne and joined the Children of Mary at the age of 14. She entered an order of Augustinian nursing sisters, but left while still a novice, she tripped and fell on a staircase; although the sprain seemed trivial at first, two weeks later, her leg was immobilised and doctors considered amputation. On 15 September 1863, Estelle reluctantly accepted that she could not pursue the life of a nursing sister and returned to her parents’ home.
The apparitions
At the time of the apparitions, Pellevoisin was the commercial centre for around a thousand citizens under the authority of the village mayor, Comte de la Rochefoucauld. His wife employed Estelle Faguette as a domestic servant and nursemaid at their residence near Pellevoisin, the Château de Poiriers-Montbel. A woman of fragile health, after numerous years in service, Estelle was dying of tuberculosis, at the age of 32.[2]
With childlike faith, Estelle composed a letter to the Blessed Virgin Mary in which she asked for a cure. This letter was laid at the feet of a statue of the Virgin in Montbel, the summer chateau of the Rochefoucaulds, about 3 km from Pellevoisin.[1]:4
In February 1876, the Countess had to travel to Paris, but arranged for accommodation to be made available for Estelle in a house close to the parish church in Pellevoisin. Unable to consume anything except liquids, Estelle received the sacrament of Extreme Unction. On 14 February, her physician judged that she had only hours left to live.[1]:6
During the night of that same day, Estelle reported experiencing the presence of the Virgin Mary for the first time, who told her that she must suffer for five more days in honour of the five wounds of Christ. At the end of the five days, Estelle would either die or be cured; and if she lived, she would obliged to make known ‘Mary’s glory’.[3]
On the following four nights the Blessed Virgin again appeared to Estelle. On Tuesday, she said: 'If my son grants you life, it will be a blessing for you.' On Wednesday: 'I am all-merciful and the mistress of my Son. Your good deed, fervant prayers and little letter have touched my motherly heart'.[3]
On Friday night, Mary did not come and stand at the foot of Estelle’s bed as on the previous nights but drew close to her. She showed Estelle the plaque which she must have placed as a thanksgiving, bearing the words: 'I called upon Mary in the depths of my misery. She obtained for me, from her Son, my complete cure.' The plaque was not plain white, but had a golden rose on each corner, and at the top, a heart on fire, crowned with roses, pierced by a sword. Indeed, on Saturday, Estelle was cured when she received Holy Communion. Immediately she was able to eat and drink normally, and within a few days resumed domestic and gardening duties with no sign of fatigue.
Estelle’s next three apparitions occurred on three consecutive days in July, Saturday 1st - Monday 3rd. 'My son’s heart is so full of love that he will not refuse my demands. I have chosen this particular place for the conversion of sinners. I would like you to remain very peaceful about this!'[3]
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The Blessed Virgin returned in September (Saturday 9, Sunday 10, Friday 15). On 9 September, the lady drew attention to a small scapular she was wearing.[2] Estelle had seen it there before, as plain white cloth, but on this day it bore the red image of a heart. 'This devotion pleases me', Mary said, and then,'It is here that I shall be honoured'.[3] The lady next appeared on 15 September, speaking of her concern for the Catholic Church in France.
Three further visions followed in November (Wednesday 1, All Saints' Day; Sunday 5; Saturday 11). On 11 November, Estelle set about making a replica of the scapular which she had seen the lady wearing. On the last of these the Virgin told Estelle 'You have been working for me'.
The final and culminating vision took place on Friday 8 December 1876, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.[3]
- I have many graces in store for those who wear this scapular with trust in me. These graces are my Son’s; I bring them from His Heart; he will refuse me nothing.[3] The lady asked her to show the scapular to the local bishop and ask his assistance in promoting it.
Estelle died in Pellevoisin on 23 August 1929, a few weeks short of her 87th birthday.[4]:119
The response of the Catholic authorities
Initial enquiries were carried out by Mgr de La Tour d’Auvergne, Archbishop of Bourges.[4]:110
On 30 April 1876, with the permission of the Archbishop, Estelle had an ex voto plaque of thanksgiving placed in the parish church. On December 8 the same year, her bedroom was transformed into an oratory. A few days later, the Archbishop received Estelle for an interview and granted permission for her to make and distribute copies of the Scapular of the Sacred Heart.[4]:109
In 1877 the Archbishop set up an enquiry and interviewed 56 persons who knew Estelle; apart from one who preferred not to comment, all spoke favourably. A second enquiry was conducted in December 1878 with similar results.[4]:110
A confraternity of the All-merciful Mother was erected on 28 July 1877 but no mention was made of Pellevoisin in connection with its approval (though St. Margaret Mary was referred to).[5] The statutes were approved on August 27.[4]:109
In 1892, Pope Leo XIII offered two signs of favour to the shrine: awarding a candle, and declaring certain indulgences for pilgrims who visited it.[4]:111 On 8 May 1894, he raised the confraternity to the status of 'honorary Archconfraternity', and in 12 May 1896 to 'effective Archconfraternity'.[4]:112 The Pope received Estelle herself in audiences on 30 January and 17–18 February 1900, during which the Pontiff agreed that the relevant Vatican department, the Congregation of Rites, should consider authorising use of the Scapular of the Sacred Heart. This formal recognition was given on 4 April 1900.[4]:112 & 114
In 1893, Archbishop Boyer invited the Dominican Friars to establish a monastery in a house close to Estelle’s chapel.[4]:113
In April 1897, Monsignor Servonnet became Archbishop of Bourges. The same year, on 14 October, he renewed permissions given by his predecessors for information about the shrine to be published. In 1899, following numerous petitions from France and Canada, he opened a third canonical enquiry into Estelle Faguette; this too found her to be a credible witness.[4]:113
On 16 April 1903, Madame de la Rochefoucauld, who still had administrative rights over the property containing the chapel which had been Estelle’s bedroom, closed it to the public. The annual pilgrimage nevertheless took place on 9 September 1903 with a crowd gathering at the railings of the property; 40 police officers attended. On 19 July 1905, Archbishop Servonnet issued an order that crowds must not gather in front of the chapel.[4]:115
On 17 October 1915, Pope Benedict XV commented that Our Lady had chosen Pellevoisin as a privileged place to dispense her graces.[4]:117
On 22 December 1922, the Congregation of Rites authorised a votive Mass of Our Lady of Pellevoisin to be celebrated on 9 September in the parish church and adjoining monastery.[4]:119
On 7 June 1936, by the hand of Cardinal Pacelli (later to become Pope Pius XII), Pius XI sent a painting of Our Lady of Pellevoisin as a gift to the Dominican community.[4]:119
On 7 December 1981, Archbishop Paul Vignancour established a medical commission to examine Estelle’s apparently miraculous cure. On 6 September 1982, having received its report that the cure was indeed inexplicable in the light of present-day medical science, the Archbishop established a theological commission to consider whether this cure might appropriately be called 'miraculous'. On 4 September 1983, while speaking at the annual pilgrimage to Pellevoisin, he announced the commission’s findings that Estelle’s cure did indeed have a 'miraculous character'. This was formally confirmed in writing on 8 September.[4]:122,125,126
On 19 September 1984, an Imprimatur was granted for a novena to Our Lady of Pellevoisin.[4]:123
The shrine today
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pellevoisin was under the care of the Dominican Order for 105 years from 1895, but since 1998 has been served by friars and sisters of the Community of St Jean. A community of contemplative sisters form the Monastery of the Merciful Mother, while the friars form the Priory of St Mary Magdalen. The main spiritual activities are daily Mass at 11:30, a weekend celebrating God’s mercy around the Second Sunday of Easter each year, and the annual pilgrimage on the last weekend in August. Pilgrimages by groups and by individuals are welcome throughout the year.[6][7]
See Also
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Wikisource has original works written by or about: Estelle Faguette |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Miséricorde – Pellevoisin. Brochure published by the shrine authorities at Pellevoisin, 2005. Printed by Imprimerie BEAU’LIEU Lyon.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 John O'Connell (2000), Our Lady of Pellevoisin at CatholicCulture.org, archived from the original on 2014-08-13, retrieved 2014-08-13
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5
- A Brief Account of the Apparitions, archived from the original on 2014-08-13, retrieved 2014-08-13
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 Estelle Faguette (1993). Pellevoisin: Estelle nous parle... : autobiographie et récit des quinze apparitions par la voyante. Monastère des dominicaines.
- ↑ Stephey, Mark. "Who is Our Lady of Pellevoisin?", Marian Library, University of Dayton, September 20, 2010
- ↑ Pellevoisin yesterday and today (Brothers of St John), archived from the original on 2013-05-31, retrieved 2014-08-14
- ↑
- Sœurs de Saint Jean (Diocese de Bourges), archived from the original on 2010-06-12, retrieved 2014-08-14
References
- Estelle Faguette (1993). Pellevoisin: Estelle nous parle... : autobiographie et récit des quinze apparitions par la voyante. Monastère des dominicaines.
- A Brief Account of the Apparitions, English Language Edition, at the Official Shrine Website, archived from the original on 2014-08-13, retrieved 2014-08-14