Our Lady of Fourviére
Lyon, France (1643)
On Fourviére hill above Lyon, a chapel was built around 1180, dedicated to St. Thomas a Becket, recently martyred there, and to Our Lady. On April 29, 1552, Huguenots destroyed the chapel and its Black Virgin statue. The Catholics of Lyon replaced both soon afterwards.
During an outbreak of black plague, on March 12, 1643, city officials made a vow to the Virgin to erect two statues in her honor her with candles and gold and on September 8, feast of her birth, to make a pilgrimage and honor her.
The epidemic ended in Lyon that year, and pilgrims began flocking to Fourviére. The September 8 pilgrimage and offering still takes place.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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