Marie de Nazareth
To Jesus, through Mary
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Annunciation, known as Le Puy Cathedral, is located in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France, and is one of the most ancient churches in Europe.
History
Tradition reports that in the 5th century, a woman suffering from a high fever was inspired by the Virgin Mary to climb to the top of a nearby hill and lie down on a dolmen (a Neolithic stone structure) as she prayed. Through her faith and Mary’s intercession, the woman was healed.
Saint Scutarius, the bishop of Le Puy, built the first church-cathedral between 415 and 430. He put the stone slab inside the church, a surprising decision showing his belief in the authenticity of the apparition and miracle. Scutarius is probably the prelate who celebrated the dedication of the cathedral.
A time-honored shrine
Countless pilgrims (including famous ones like popes, kings, and saints) have been comforted by the Mother of God, especially during “Grand Pardons” or “Jubilee” years.
On February 11, 1956, Pope Pius IX granted the cathedral the title of basilica, to indicate to all the importance and the influence of a place which is a source for Christian life.
In 1998, Our Lady of Le Puy was twinned with the shrine of Meryem Ana Evi (the house of the Virgin Mary), often visited by Muslims, near the ancient city of Ephesus, in Turkey.
In 1998, UNESCO added Le Puy to its list of World Heritage Sites because of its prime importance in the Pilgrimage of St James of Compostela (one of the first known pilgrims was Godescalc, Bishop of Le Puy, who did the pilgrimage in 951). The shrine was completely restored in 1994-1998.
The message
It is believed that the shrine was built around the time of the proclamation of the divine maternity of Mary by the council of Ephesus (431).
The Virgin Mary is the beloved of the Song of Songs. “I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem… Do not look upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me, they made me keeper of the vineyards.” (Song of Songs 1: 5-6)
The face of the Madonna is black, because she is the servant who keeps the vines and had her skin darkened by the sun. The same goes for the face of Jesus, her child, who “came to serve and give his life for the multitude.”
Influence
Large groups of pilgrims continue to climb this hill seeking healing of the body and the soul, especially on August 15th. Growing numbers of people (in the thousands) choose Le Puy as their departure point for the long pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, an uninterrupted tradition since the 10th century. In 1999, 2,500 pilgrims received the departure blessing in the cathedral. In 2003, there were 6,400 recorded pilgrims. One out of five comes from abroad.
Praying with Mary
As a Marian shrine, Our Lady of Le Puy welcomes all those who come to entrust their prayers to Mary: parishes, families, conferences, pilgrims, individuals with any sort of struggles, youth groups, religious education classes, young couples wishing to place their homes under Mary’s care, etc. The Pope recently attracted our attention to the simplicity and abundance of the prayer of the Rosary, which lead us to the contemplation of Jesus’ life with the help of Mary. This shrine emphasizes the importance of this prayer.
This page was adapted from the officiel website of Notre-Dame du Puy.