Our Lady of the Silver Foot

https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-the-silver-foot.html 

September 20: Our Lady of the Silver Foot, at Toul in Lorraine, France (1284)
 
At Toul, in Lorraine, there was a statue, which, according to an ancient tradition, informed a woman on September 20th in year 1284, of an act of treachery which was being planned against city.
The statue was called Our Lady of the Silver Foot, or Notre-Dame au pied d’argent in native French.

The faithful keep memory of this stone statue of Blessed Virgin Mary, which was located just inside entrance of church & placed over a sculpted clam.
In those days there would be a lamp burning before it on feast days, & almost every day faithful offered small candles which they lit & rested on a circular iron candlestick that was placed before statue.

It was well known that several people who prayed before this statue were cured of various diseases, but devotion & respect of people toward this image grew more than ever at time of Bishop Conrad, because of miracle that occurred in following manner:

A woman named Helwide was in Cathedral Saint-Etienne de Toul praying to Blessed Virgin for consolation & repose of souls of her husband & daughter who'd recently died.
It was about midnight, when canons were praying Matins, that Blessed Virgin Mary suddenly appeared to her.

The Virgin Mary ordered Helwide to go immediately to find a man named Rimert, who was guardian of “The Door to the Chair.”
The Door to the Chair gave access to Castrum, a little entrance to city near Tanner Street.
Helwide was urged to go quickly, for an enemy proposed to enter city by door to set their homes on fire & fill streets with blood.

Regaining her senses after vision, Helwide got up feeling very puzzled.
She was hesitant about what she should do, though as Rimbert’s home wasn't far distant & was on her way home anyway, she decided she would indeed go there.

No sooner had Helwide stepped out of church than she met night-watch on patrol.
She told them tale of her vision, & they responded by mocking her & making derogatory jokes.
Despite this, 2 of them still decided to follow & actually see what would happen if Helwide could find porter she sought.

The pair arrived with Helwide at house & simply thrust door open.
Rimbert sat on his bunk, seeming startled, yet as if expecting visit.
Helwide briefly stated purpose of her visit, & Rimbert exclaimed, “I had precisely same vision & same warning! I don't know if it occurred in my sleep or in state of wakefulness, but I've been told that statue will move her foot in testimony of the truth!”

At these words, all those present were seized with a great desire to see such a prodigy.
With a rush they ran to Cathedral & removed candles & all that stood before image.
To their disappointment they found that Virgin’s feet remained mostly hidden beneath folds of clothing of statue as before.

In interim, several scholars & some laymen who were called to see wonder, arrived on the scene.
Seeing that nothing was apparently going to happen, they began cursing all rest as senseless interpreters of dreams.
At they stood not far from statue, many of them fell silent as they saw statue suddenly move as an entire foot of Blessed Virgin Mary appeared from beneath folds of her garment.

Terrified, but convinced, this time they all agreed to announce peril which they now knew actually threatened them.
Quickly rendering their thanks to Mary, they agreed to defend city & call for reinforcements.

They arrived just in time to take up their positions to defend entrance to city with assistance of Episcopal palace guards.

A tremendous struggle occurred when butchers broke down door & entered courtyard, but defenders were committed to fight & held their own.
When reinforcements arrived, invaders fell to last man.

To perpetuate memory & recognize protection granted to them by Blessed Virgin Mary, people of Toul had a shoe of pure silver made to cover foot on the Blessed Virgin’s statue.

From that time on statue was known as Our Lady of the Silver Foot.

They also hung on wall of cathedral a picture which represented heavenly vision, & Mary was declared patroness of city.

The image of Our Lady of the Silver Foot was venerated in city & surrounding area, & in case of threat of any public calamity, Blessed Virgin was invoked & henceforth statue would be carried in procession throughout streets of city.

The magistrates themselves considered it an honor to take statue upon their own shoulders.
Pilgrimages were made to Our Lady of the Silver Foot; prayers answered, graces bestowed & miracles wrought.

The original statue of Our Lady of the Silver Foot was destroyed during ravages of French Revolution, & was replaced later by a modern statue that was stolen in 1980’s.
The Gothic cathedral was repaired after being damaged during French Revolution, but still awaits repair after damage caused when it was struck during an aerial bombardment in Second World War.
There was once also a monastery at Toul, but no trace of it remains.