Our Lady Appeared in Pontmain, France
Our Lady of Pontmain
https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-pontmain.html
January 17It was in the winter of 1871 in the village of Pontmain, France, Eugene Barbedette was busy in his father’s barn helping prepare the animal feed.
He stood briefly in the open doorway, admiring the beautiful evening.
Suddenly the gaze of the 12 year old was held there, for opposite the barn & in a framework of stars, stood a beautiful lady – motionless – smiling at him.
“Do you see anything?” he shouted to the others, “Look, over there!”
“Yes,” cried his brother Joseph, “a beautiful lady dressed in a blue robe with golden stars, yes, & blue shoes with golden buckles…&, she has a golden crown which is getting bigger, & a black veil.”
Since the father didn't see her, he told the boys to get on with their work; then curiously, he asked, “Eugene, do you still see anything?”
“Yes, she’s still there,” the boy answered & ran to fetch his mother; she saw nothing, but with a woman’s intuition, she thought it might be the Blessed Virgin & assembling the family gently, all prayed 5 Paters & Aves in honor of the Mother of God.
She called for a nun at the convent next door, who brought her 2 little charges with her, the later, Francoise & Jean Marie, reaching the door of the barn, called out, “Oh, look at that lovely lady with the golden stars!” & clapped their hands with delight.
The news spread quickly, people gathered, with them the cure, M. Guerin.
The Magnificat was intoned, & Eugene shouted, “Look what she is doing!”
Slowly a great white streamer unfolded & in large letters they read: “Pray, my children, God will answer your prayers very soon.
He will not allow you to be touched.”
The cure then intoned the hymn: “My Sweet Jesus…”
At that a red cross with the wounded body of Christ appeared before the Virgin, who held it.
At the top in large red letters was written, “Jesus Christ.”
The crowd burst into tears, while the cure ordered night prayers to be said; a white veil hid the vision, while our Lady smiled at the children, a smile which haunted them all through life with its beauty.
Something of the sorrow of farewell was depicted on the faces of Eugene & Joseph, for the cure said quickly, “Can you still see anything?”
“No, it is quite finished,” they answered.
At the moment the message was being written in the sky, a messenger passing in front of the crowd had shouted, “You may well pray, the Russians are at Laval.” But they never entered it.
On the 17th of January, at 6 o’clock at night, the very hour the Virgin appeared to the children of Pontmain, the division of soldiers, without apparent reason, received the order to retire.
On the 28th of January, the armistice was signed at Versailles. After long & searching inquiry, Mgr. Wicart, the Bishop of Laval, proclaimed the authenticity of the vision, & at the very spot where Our Lady had appeared, a basilica was erected in honor of Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain.
There the Queen of Heaven receives her countless children & gives them fresh hope in their trials, as she gave France peace in her hour of need.
The basilica is a magnificent structure in the 13th century style, & one may still see the barn where Eugene & Joseph worked when Mary appeared.
1871: Pontmain in the Path of the Prussian Army
By
1871, France had been devastated by the Franco-Prussian War. Fully
three quarters of France lay under the heel of Prussian occupation.
On the starry night of January 17th,
in the tiny village of Pontmain, Brittany, Cesar Barbadette & his 2
sons Joseph & Eugène, aged 10 & 12 were finishing up their
tasks in the barn.
Eugene looked out the window & saw an area free of stars over their neighbor’s house.
Suddenly, he saw Our Lady smiling at him.
Joseph also saw Our Lady; later as a priest he'd recount what he'd seen:
Eugene looked out the window & saw an area free of stars over their neighbor’s house.
Suddenly, he saw Our Lady smiling at him.
Joseph also saw Our Lady; later as a priest he'd recount what he'd seen:
She was young & tall of stature,
clad in a garment of deep blue, …
Her dress was covered with brilliant gold stars.
The sleeves were ample & long.
She wore slippers of the same blue as the dress, ornamented with gold bows.
On the head was a black veil half covering the forehead, concealing the hair & ears, & falling over the shoulders.
Her dress was covered with brilliant gold stars.
The sleeves were ample & long.
She wore slippers of the same blue as the dress, ornamented with gold bows.
On the head was a black veil half covering the forehead, concealing the hair & ears, & falling over the shoulders.
Above this was a crown resembling a diadem,
higher in front than elsewhere, & widening out at the sides. A red
line encircled the crown at the middle.
Her hands were small & extended toward us as in the ‘miraculous medal.'
Her hands were small & extended toward us as in the ‘miraculous medal.'
Her face had the most
exquisite delicacy & a smile of ineffable sweetness.
The eyes, of unutterable tenderness, were fixed on us.
Like a true mother, she seemed happier in looking at us than we in contemplating
The eyes, of unutterable tenderness, were fixed on us.
Like a true mother, she seemed happier in looking at us than we in contemplating
Although
their parents saw only 3 stars in a triangle, the religious sisters
of the parochial school & the parish priest were called over.
Two girls, Françoise Richer & Jeanne-Marie Lebosse, aged 9 & 11, also saw the Lady.
Two girls, Françoise Richer & Jeanne-Marie Lebosse, aged 9 & 11, also saw the Lady.
The
villagers – by now about 60 adults & children – began to pray the
Rosary.
As they prayed, the visionaries reported that they saw the vision undergo a change.
First, the stars on Our Lady’s garment multiplied until her blue garment was almost completely gold.
Then with each subsequent prayer, letters appeared to spell out the messages on a banner unfurled at her feet: “But please pray, my children,”
“God will soon hear your prayers,” & “My Son is waiting for you”.
As they prayed, the visionaries reported that they saw the vision undergo a change.
First, the stars on Our Lady’s garment multiplied until her blue garment was almost completely gold.
Then with each subsequent prayer, letters appeared to spell out the messages on a banner unfurled at her feet: “But please pray, my children,”
“God will soon hear your prayers,” & “My Son is waiting for you”.
As
they sang “Mother of Hope”, a favorite regional hymn, Our Lady laughed
& joined in.
During the singing of “My Sweet Jesus,” a red cross with a Corpus appeared on Mary’s breast & her smile faded to grief.
During the singing of “My Sweet Jesus,” a red cross with a Corpus appeared on Mary’s breast & her smile faded to grief.
As the
villagers sang “Ave Maris Stella” however, the crucifix disappeared, her
smile returned, & a white veil covered her, ending the apparition at 9
o’clock.
The apparition had lasted for 3 hours.
The apparition had lasted for 3 hours.
That
evening, the Prussian troops in sight of Laval stopped at half-past
5 o'clock, about the time when the Apparition first appeared above
Pontmain, just a few miles away.
General Von Schmidt, about to move on the city of Laval towards Pontmain, had received orders from his Commander not to take the city.
General Von Schmidt, about to move on the city of Laval towards Pontmain, had received orders from his Commander not to take the city.
Schmidt is reported to have said on the morning of the 18th: “We can't go farther.
Yonder, in the direction of Brittany, there is an invisible ‘Madonna‘ barring the way.”
Yonder, in the direction of Brittany, there is an invisible ‘Madonna‘ barring the way.”
The little
village of Pontmain is proof that the earnest prayers of even the
smallest parish can effect a turn in history.
A year later, on the Feast of the Purification on February 2nd, Pontmain was approved as authentic & confirmed by Pope Pius XI with a Mass & Office in 1872.
In 1932, Pope Pius XII granted that the Mother of Hope, the title given to the Apparition, be solemnly honored with a golden crown.
Today, pilgrims visit the Basilica of Pontmain as a sign of hope in the midst of war.
A year later, on the Feast of the Purification on February 2nd, Pontmain was approved as authentic & confirmed by Pope Pius XI with a Mass & Office in 1872.
In 1932, Pope Pius XII granted that the Mother of Hope, the title given to the Apparition, be solemnly honored with a golden crown.
Today, pilgrims visit the Basilica of Pontmain as a sign of hope in the midst of war.
Throughout
her 20 centuries of Christianity, France has honored the Mother of
God in glorious cathedrals & sublime chant.
It is also true that in the 800 years since the Dominicans first did battle with the Albigensians, France has been a battleground for the Faith.
It is also true that in the 800 years since the Dominicans first did battle with the Albigensians, France has been a battleground for the Faith.
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