Our Lady of Faith

https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-faith.html

July 26 and 27: Our Lady of Faith (Notre-Dame-de-Foy, or Notre-Dame-de-Foi)

Not far from small town of Dinant, in country of Liege near a home belonging to lord of Celles, 2 magnificent oaks once grew.
One of 2 venerable old trees was felled in year 1609 for lumber.

The worker who inspected tree found in interior a small statue of Mother of God, enthroned, as it were, with 3 iron bars that served as a trellis.
Apparently, at some time in distant past, some pious Christian soul had placed holy image in a hollow of oak, as if in a niche.
Then, over a period of time, the opening tree had made while it was still young gradually closed, & as it grew, the tree hid in its womb the precious figure.

To honor the Virgin, the statue was subsequently displayed on other oak, once again behind an iron grating, by order of Baron of Celles.
In this new sanctuary Mother of God was honored with title of Our Lady of Faith.
Those passing by didn't fail to venerate statue; & there were many unexpected healings.
Graces of all kinds multiplied, & soon pilgrims began to flock to area because of dazzling miracles.

A priest of Society of Jesus had recently been sent to Gravelines.
He worked diligently to cultivate souls, as if upon a fruitful vine, & by his sermons excited the people of region to a greater love for Mother of God.
Seeing that this devotion had taken root, he met with local Magistrate to discuss how to maintain & increase piety of the people.

It was decided that they should make replicas of statue of Our Lady of Faith, made from wood of first oak. When first was completed, image was observed to have a great resemblance to original.
Received with great joy, it was to be placed in a large reliquary above high altar in parish church.

The image of Mary, Our Lady of Faith (de Foy), was solemnly installed by Bishop of St. Omer on feast of the Ascension.
Since year 1622 she has been honored by huge gatherings of the faithful.
Great numbers of miracles occurred ​​& still occur daily, says Father Boil, & he cites as support of his assertion a booklet entitled: Remarkable Healings made through invocation of Our Lady of Faith, Gravelines, which was a booklet printed at St. Omer in 1623, with approval of Bishop.

To satisfy the pious zeal of faithful, the venerated image of Our Lady of Faith was frequently reproduced. The oak, which for so many years had contained image, served this purpose, as its wood was used to create other similar statues of Our Lady of Foy.

The additional statues of Holy Virgin which were distributed to churches in Bailleul, Dilingue, Gravelines, Huy, Lille, Lobbes, Marchiennes Montmartre, Saint-Omer, Oudenbourg, Reims, Ruislip, an D’Furnes, among others.
These cities were honored to possess this image of Mary, & welcomed statue, made of same wood of tree of Foy. In all of these various localities Our Lady of Faith began to work many wonders.

Of all images made of wood modeled after original Madonna, the most famous perhaps is one that is kept today at cathedral of Amiens.
The statue was placed in church of the Augustinian religious at beginning of year 1629, whose monastery was located in parish of Saint Michael.

As of May 3 of that year wonderful miracles began to occur, & soon Bishop of Amiens, Francois Le Febvre de Caumartin, formed a commission to study & conduct necessary investigations.
He ended by canonically recognizing devotion to image & published four major miracles which had occurred, including most striking being resurrection of a dead child.

Here are some details recalling this memorable prodigy.
A child had fallen into a pit & been buried for several hours.
The devout Christians who struggled to rescue him did all in their power to revive him, but to no avail.
Finally, people took child before statue of Our Lady of Foy & knelt to pray with confidence for Our Lady’s intercession.
Immediately child showed signs of life & awakened as if from sleep.

At Gravelines, there had been a child who died at birth.
While he was being prepared for his burial, the sorrowful mother invoked Mary in image of Our Lady of Faith.
Suddenly, a life-giving warmth spread through child’s icy members, who then began to cry & shake his small hands.

The child received baptism, & now grows under watchful eyes of his mother, for whom he is a constant consolation.

A ship captain related that his ship had recently sunk beneath waves, & that sailors & passengers aboard had all perished.
The captain alone remained struggling against swells, without hope of rescue, & recalled that he himself was near death.

In his pressing moment of need he has recourse to Our Lady of Faith, & vowed to make a pilgrimage to church if he should live.
Although he was 3 leagues from Gravelines, he was instantly transported to shore & hastened to fulfill his vow.

On another occasion, a father, whose child had died, came to Amiens carrying lifeless body of his infant son. The child had been baptized out of necessity by hands of his grandmother. 
The father arrived at church of convent during celebration of Holy Mass. 

He set child before image of Our Lady of Faith, & little corpse revived before wondering eyes of faithful during Elevation.
The chaplain of queen-mother, who was a former canon of cathedral, split press of people & inquired whether child had been baptized.  

On negative reply of father, who falsely believed grandmother’s baptism had been invalid, priest renewed sacramental rite & gave name of Augustine to happy child of Blessed Virgin. 
Sometime after miracle, child died again & was buried in cemetery of Saint James. 
After 13 days body was exhumed, & there was no sign of any corruption.

During plague of 1634 which ravaged Amiens, people of town processed with image of Our Lady of Foy, & bishop presided over ceremony & celebrated Pontifical Mass.
The plague ceased. 

In year 1636 noble ladies were frequently seen with their ​​maids of honor praying before holy image, & Cardinal Richelieu who attend litanies that were sung every day in this blessed sanctuary. 

In addition, the brotherhood, established under title of Our Lady of Foy, included a number of high ranking personages, including King Louis XIII, Anne of Autriclhe, King Louis XIV, Queen Marie-Therese, King Louis XV, as well as members of noblest & most illustrious families of Picardy.  

The religious association had chosen as its main feast Visitation of Blessed Virgin, a mystery that recalls so perfectly incomparable faith of Blessed Virgin Mary.

All of these prodigies had an immense effect, & number of extraordinary favors soon became considerable.
The miraculous Madonna of Foy drew faithful more than ever in all their necessities.
The image of Our Lady of Foy was hidden to protect it from the impious during time of French Revolution.

Afterwards, image was returned to church, but little Madonna became lost in vastness of cathedral, & received the homage of only a few souls who knew & remembered.
 In 1878, Bishop Battle, of pious memory, celebrated Mass at Notre-Dame de Foy, & restoration of this cult was finally decided.
Soon the venerable Chapter, supported by bishop, asked Pope to deign to open treasure of indulgences.

Many devotions & pilgrimages were once again made in her honor, & candles were constantly kept burning before her image.
Every 15th of August, the Feast of the Assumption, there again resumed public recitation of Litanies along with processions as people showed their love & appreciation for their Heavenly Mother.
Since then Our Lady of Faith constantly gathers new testimonies of love by her precious favors.