Tomorrow is All Saints Day. The next day is All Souls Day. Traditionally we pray for our dearly departed loved ones at this time of the year. Here is a novena to Our Lady of Consolation. Prayers are both printed and recorded as audio.
Discerning Hearts Novena to Our Lady of Consolation
History of Vilvoorde Chapter 22
The following translated quotes are from the Dutch Wikipedia site:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilika_Maria_Trost_(Vilvoorde)
"In the 13th century, Beguines settled outside Vilvoorde in Steevoort. Sophie of Brabant, the wife of Duke Henry II, gave the Beguines the miraculous statue of Mary of Our Lady of Consolation and promoted the expansion of the beguinage.
In 1457, the founder of the Carmelites, John Soreth, initiated a community in Liège. After the destruction of Liège by Charles the Bold, a group of Carmelite nuns went to Vilvoorde in 1469 to the beguinage called Our Lady of Consolation. The monastic community is today the oldest existing of the order. In 1575, on the third Sunday after Easter, a procession passed through the streets of Vilvoorde for the first time, establishing today's pilgrimage to the Troostkermis. In 1578, during the iconoclasm, the monastery was demolished for strategic reasons for better defense of the city. In 1586 the sisters were able to return from Mechelen and moved to the former St. Nicholas Hospital. This was rebuilt several times, during the partial new construction from 1641 to 1646 the sisters' choir was built as a chapel. In 1663, the construction of the adjoining domed building of the monastery church began and was completed two years later. The church was consecrated in 1671 by the Archbishop of Mechelen, Alphonsus de Berghes."
The following translated quotes are from the Dutch Wikipedia site:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basiliek_en_klooster_van_Onze-Lieve-Vrouw_van_Troost
"In the 13th century, beguines settled just outside Vilvoorde in Peutie. In 1469, after the destruction of Liège byCharles the Bold, a group of Carmelites went to the Vilvoorde beguinage that bore the name Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ten Troost.
Sofia, the wife of Duke Henry II, donated the miraculous statue of Mary to the beguines and had the beguinage made larger and more spacious.
During the Iconoclasm, Vilvoorde was ordered to bring the city into an optimal state of defense. All houses outside the city, including the beguinage, had to be demolished. In 1633 the Steevoort chapel was built in memory of this event. The sisters moved within the city, where they were assigned the Sint-Niklaasgasthuis.
After 1578, the sisters fled five times with the miraculous statue of Mary. In 1641 the construction of the current Troostkerk started. Two years later, the church was completed.
After a rather long period of rest, the gloomy end of the 18th century began. The sisters were expelled by the French revolutionaries and their property was sold. After the concordat with Napoleon, the sisters were able to return to their convent.
The church was elevated to a basilica on May 7, 2006, during the weekend of the Consolation Fair."
End quotes.
Look again at this quote: "After 1578, the sisters fled five times with the miraculous statue of Mary. In 1641 the construction of the current Troostkerk started. Two years later, the church was completed."
This is the exact same period of time when Marian devotion, with pilgrimages, at Scherpenheuvel, Luxembourg, and Kevelaer became popular. The statue at Scherpenheuvel appeared in the last half of the 16th century, when the sisters were forced to leave several times. Construction on a new church for the sisters began in 1641, the same year Our Lady of Consolation came to Kevelaer. Persecuting the Carmelite sisters did not prevent the spread of Marian devotion in the region. Like the persecution of the first century Christians helped to spread Christianity, the persecution of those who had a devotion to Our Lady of Consolation seems to have spread that devotion. Perhaps that is why a statue was hidden in a tree in a lonely place?
Today, many of the Carmelite nuns at Vilvoorde are from the Philippines. Our Lady of Consolation is well known in the Philippines. We will look at that in a later post.
Searching for "Onze Lieve Vrouw van Troost" led to some enlightening history from the region. This had to be translated from Dutch for the most part. First let us learn about the Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Vilvoorde. Then, the Good Lord willing, we will learn about the Augustinian friars in the same region.
In the 13th century, beguines settled outside of Vilvoorde. Beguines were lay women who devoted themselves to prayer and good works. They did not make vows to religious orders and were free to leave at any time. The beguine movement was primarily in the Low Countries in the 13-16th centuries. For more information see this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beguines_and_Beghards
Vilvoorde is 33 miles west of Scherpenheuvel. They are both in a region known as Brabant. A statue of Our Lady of Consolation is given to the beguines in 1247. This statue is seated. The Augustinian statues of Our Lady of Consolation are usually seated. A Carmelite monastery is founded in Vilvoorde in 1469. Today, this is the oldest continually existing group of Carmelite nuns in the world. The Carmelites work at a hospital founded by the beguines at Vilvoorde. The statue of Our Lady of Consolation comes into the hands of the Carmelites. After the Reformation, the monastery is destroyed and the sisters, along with the statue, go into hiding. The current basilica is built in 1663, after the Peace of Westphalia made it safe for the sisters to return. It is a hexagon with a dome. Archbishop Mathias Hovius, the same Archbishop who gave approval to Scherpenheuvel, was a supporter of the beguine movement in the 17th century.
Here is a video with text from their actual historical records. Below the video, in this blog, is a translation of all the text in the video. Notice that in the video there are actually three depictions of Our Lady of Consolation. One is seated. One looks like the statue at Luxembourg. One looks more like the statue at Scherpenheuvel. The statue at Scherpenheuvel shows Jesus and Mary closer together and sharing a mantel. This is important to note. Our Lady of Consolation is a title, not a particular image. This video will demonstrate that. Again, Mary is one person. Our Lady of Consolation is one person who may be represented by different images.
Translation from Belgian YouTube page:
In the middle of the 13th century Sofia, Duchess of Brabant, gave the beguines a statue of the Mother of God.
that she of her Mother; St. Elisabeth of Thuringia, had received, to comfort them
At the handover she spoke: Dearly beloved children, take this image of the Blessed Virgin
Mary will comfort you when you will be in sorrow. When the desolation will overtake you, flee to this image
Thou shalt find refreshment in it which I, mortal creature, cannot give you.
If you will then have need to defend yourself or to lift yourself up in your suffering, do not forget this image.
But only go to Mary with the same love and trust, and you will be convinced that I have given up a hidden treasure.
Even though I have found you with her enlightenment in my difficulties, comfort in my sadness. Mary will show you her great goodness.
At once, numerous believers received miraculous favors from Mary.
Visitors were comforted and strengthened.
The result was that the place of mercy was visited from far and wide.
One minute into video.
In the fifteenth century Johannes Soreth founded Carmelite monasteries, including that of Vilvoorde in 1469.
The sisters have at their disposal the hospital and the chapel of the beguinage of Steevoort.
Immediately the statue of Our Lady of Consolation comes into their hands.
The sisters make every effort to restore the worship of the miraculous image, the godliness for this of very slackened.
New favors and benefits of Mary have resulted in...
that Our Lady of Consolation will once again become a well-visited place of pilgrimage.
May it stay that way...
-texts from the history of Our Lady of Consolation
old sisters choir
entrance to the Consolation Basilica (inscription reads "need seeks comfort")*
De Troost is the praying "heart" of the City of Vilvoorde.
Blessed Solemnity of Our Lady of Consolation! May she speak for your best. May she protect your loved ones and bring you closer to Jesus.
*My addition, not in the video text. The same words are found at the bottom of the picture at one minute into the video.
The Peace of Westphalia Chapter 19
To recap, the oak at Scherpenheuvel was cut down in 1604, the wood was made into more Marian statues, a chapel was constructed, and there were pilgrimages. Next, processions with Our Lady of Luxembourg Consolatrix Afflictorum began in 1626 and that became a popular pilgrimage site. In 1641 Our Lady of Kevelaer Consolatrix Afflictorum starts small and in a few years grows into a pilgrimage site to rival the other two. What happens next?
In 1648 comes the Peace of Westphalia. An end to the 30 Years War. Also, an end to the 80 Years War. Both are wars of religion caused by the Reformation. Between 4.5 and 8 million people die because of the 30 Years War. The Peace of Westphalia is worked out by 109 delegations negotiating for 2 years beginning in 1646. Key parts of the agreement are: 1. Local princes and other rulers get to decide the official religion of their region. 2. Rulers cannot interfere in the religious choice of a ruler in another region. 3. Individuals in any region can practice any of the three "approved" religions, not just the official religion. The approved religions are Calvinism, Catholicism, and Lutheranism. 4. Stolen church properties are returned to whoever owned them in 1630.
Westphalian Sovereignty, better known today as State Sovereignty, becomes a principle in international law. It is enshrined in the charter of the United Nations. 400 years ago, your religion might be determined by the whims of a secular ruler or by the outcome on a battlefield. Today, that sounds absurd.
After the Peace of Westphalia, German Catholics were able to practice their faith even under Lutheran rulers. Over 200 years after the treaty there were still German Catholics. Some came to America and founded parishes. I belong to a parish that was founded by German Catholics in 1869. Catholicism also remained in France.
Pope Innocent X established the Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation on January 27, 1652. That is 3 years, 3 months and 3 days after the Peace of Westphalia was signed on October 24, 1648. The Pope must have seen something special about Our Lady of Consolation at this time.
Had the Catholic region of Benelux been converted by the reformers, instead of remaining staunchly Catholic and devoted to Mary, then perhaps Catholicism would not have been well represented at the negotiations at Westphalia. Catholicism would have remained strong in Italy and Spain, but perhaps not in France, Germany, and the Benelux region. However, Catholicism WAS one of the approved religions.
So far, I've presented a lot of facts. Names, dates, locations, events. Allow me to give my personal, and biased, interpretation of these events.
Catholicism in Benelux was surrounded on all sides and under attack. The 80 Years War. The 30 Years War. The Protestant Reformation. Religious persecution. The plague. God responded by parachuting Mary into the battlefield. Her chute got hung up in a big oak tree. The Calvinists laughed at that. They ridiculed the statue and the people who venerated it. They scoffed at the healings attributed to Mary's intercession. The humble people responded with faith and devotion. Within a generation, Central Europe went from religious wars to a degree of religious freedom and tolerance. A small statue of Mary, at first known only to some simple shepherds, and in a generations time you have a turning point in history. Guess who I want on my side in tough times?
Connecting Kevelaer to Belgium
The connection between Kevelaer and Luxembourg is obvious. The image at Kevelaer came from Luxembourg. The image includes a picture of the city of Luxembourg with the name Luxembourg right on it. At Kevelaer there are 2 silver strings with the inscription, "A sign of love from Mother to Daughter." H. G. Schneider "Kevelaer Die Gnadenkapelle" (Kevelaer The Mercy Chapel) page 8. Published March 4, 2013.
The connection to Scherpenheuvel and Belgium becomes clear with a little investigation.
1. "The miraculous picture from Kevelaer shows the Comforter of the Afflicted, as she is probably depicted in the prayer notes printed in Antwerp." Hans-Gunther Schneider "Kevelaer The Mercy Chapel" page 6. Translated from German.
2. The bishop sent Oratorians to Scherpenheuvel to minister to the pilgrims. The bishop sent Oratorians from Scherpenheuvel to Kevelaer to take care of the pilgrims.
3. On the fountain in the courtyard of the Baptismal Chapel at Kevelaer is an inscription that reads, "The Grace of God flows eternal". This inscription is in Dutch and German.
4. The new chapel in Kevelaer is modeled after the chapel at Scherpenheuvel.
5. The Treaty of Venlo in 1543 made the Duchy of Geldern part of the Netherlands belonging to the Holy Roman Empire. (German Geldern, Dutch Guelders) Kevelaer was located in the Duchy of Geldern (Guelders). Hendrick Busman, builder of the first chapel at Kevelaer, lived in the town of Geldern. The image was brought to Kevelaer from Geldern. The first priests at Kevelaer were Capuchins from Geldern.
6. In 1555, Charles V gave power over the Netherlands to his son Philip, King of Spain. Thus Kevelaer became part of the Spanish Netherlands. By 1579, as a result of political revolution and the Reformation, Geldern is part of the Utrecht Union and the Catholic Church is forbidden. In 1621, Spain tries to take control of the region through military force. In 1642 Busman built the first chapel. In 1648 there is the Peace of Westphalia. Westphalia is located within the Duchy of Geldern. (Much if this history comes from Fr. Norbert Siwinski, Ph.d., OFM Conv, from a paper titled Consolatrix Afflictorum, Sanctuary of Our Lady, Kevelaer. 2017. Some of this history came from Wikipedia.)
7. Kevelaer became part of the Diocese of Munster in 1821. The local population became upset at that time because their new bishop required that High German be used for sermons, catechisis, and prayer books. The people of Kevelaer spoke Dutch Low German and could not understand the High German language. They could understand their Flemish neighbors who also spoke a Dutch dialect. Scherpenheuvel is in the Flemish region of Belgium.
8. Here is a video from 2017 that shows people from Scherpenheuvel, Luxembourg, and Kevelaer all marching together in a Marian procession. The images on the banners are similar. The image from Kevelaer is too small to see in the video, but it is the same image as on the banners. It helps to watch this in full screen on a computer.
Note the image of Our Lady of Consolation on banners from 1:42 to 1:50, again note 4:52 to 5:04 (banner reads Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel Pray for Us in Dutch), again note 5:30 to 5:46 (Consolatrix Afflictorum, Luxembourg), again note Kevelaer image being carried 8:00 to 8:12. Also notice the number of bishops in the procession at 9:10 to 9:28. This video demonstrats that the people of the region see an association between Scherpenheuvel, Luxembourg, and Kevelaer. Of course, Mary is Mary. As pointed out earlier, Jesus has one Mother.
In 1641 two German soldiers brought back an image of Our Lady of Consolation from Luxembourg to Kevelaer, in what is now Germany. Today, Kevelaer is just across the border from the Netherlands. It's 77 miles from Scherpenheuvel. Kevelaer was part of the Spanish Netherlands from 1556 to 1713. Dutch Low German was spoken in Kevelaer until at least 1821 when it became part of the diocese of Munster and the bishop mandated sermons and catechesis in High German.
The picture was on a flat copper rectangle just 3 1/2 inches by 4 1/4 inches. Consolatrix Afflictorum was written above the image. The soldiers tried to sell this to a merchant's wife. She thought it too expensive. The merchant, Hendrick Busman, was traveling for business. On his way home he stopped by a roadside shrine outside of Kevelaer to pray. There he heard a voice say, "Here build me a chapel." He looked around and nobody was there. Several days later he is once again on that road and stops to pray at the shrine. Again, he hears the same voice, the same message. Again, he tells no one. On one more occasion this happens. This third time he tells his wife. She tells him about the picture and that she has been having dreams where she sees it in a chapel. They decide they need to build a chapel for this image of Mary. The soldiers are found, the image is purchased, and a small chapel is built.
The same thing that happened in Scherpenheuvel and Luxembourg happens in Kevelaer. Many healings are attributed to the intercession of Mary. In a short time, pilgrims are flocking there. The bishop investigates and approves. To handle all the pilgrims, the bishop has some of the Oratorians from Scherpenheuvel sent to Kevelaer in 1645. In 1649 design work on a larger chapel is started. The new chapel is a hexagon with a dome and is modeled after Scherpenheuvel, according to Fr. Norbert Siwinski, Phd., quoting "Kevelaer A Place of Reflection" 2012, ed. R. Kerkhoff and H. Schlensok. The title Consolatrix Afflictorum is in large letters above the little picture. Pope St. John Paul II visited Kevelaer in 1987.
A 29-inch-high statue?
Our Lady of Luxembourg, Consolatrix Afflictorum, stands 73 centimeters high. That's about 29 inches. The statue at Scherpenheuvel is also rather small. Didn't the people of this region love Mary enough to make a 7-foot marble statue? Why 29 inches and wood with fabric?
29-inch high, wooden statues are easy to move and easy to hide. (Perhaps even in a tree away from town. In a place known only to the locals.) Over the centuries wooden statues of Mary went into hiding or behind the walls of fortified cities many times. That is how they survived. The iconoclasts and the enlightened folks wanted to destroy them. Woke folks like to destroy and rewrite history. They strive to erase any traces of religion. They hate the old statues and want to replace them. Post card size copper engravings, like the one in Kevelaer, are also easy to move and easy to hide.
When it became safe again, the small wooden statues would come out of hiding. Large, stone statues didn't always make it. They were much harder to move or hide. And much harder to replace. The small wooden statues with elaborate clothing were easy to hide and it was easy to make copies. The clothes could be made by anybody skilled in elaborate embroidery. A skill that was not uncommon in that era. To defend large stone statues that must remain in place required an army. To hide the smaller wooden statues required only a few devout people.
St. Louis de Montfort's writings only survived the French revolution because they were buried in a trunk in a field. They were accidently discovered many years later. How much have we lost? How much history was destroyed or remains hidden?
Saint Pope John Paul II was influenced by the writings of St. Louis de Montfort. Because of the influence of John Paul II, I have a collection of St. Louis de Montfort's books. His writings have influenced my own Marian devotion.
A family member tried to trace our family history in Belgium. They were working with a cousin whose family had stayed in Belgium. I have a letter from that cousin from the 1970s. In it he explains that there are hardly any records available before 1830 because of the French revolution in 1789. Belgium was occupied by the French until 1815.
Linking Scherpenheuvel to Luxembourg. Was Father Jacques, the Jesuit who started the devotion to Mary as Consolatrix Afflictorum in Luxembourg, aware of Scherpenheuvel?
1. Montague wood statues spread throughout the region. There are even rumors that Montague wood is in the statue of Our Lady of Luxembourg. (The wood from the oak tree at Scherpenheuvel that was chopped down became known as "Montague wood".)
2. The Cardinal of Lorraine had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel made at the Jesuit novitiate in Nancy. Nancy and Luxembourg are not far apart and at that time were both part of the same region, namely the Spanish Netherlands. This would hardly have escaped the notice of a Jesuit teacher like Fr. Jacques. Nancy is 229 miles south of Scherpenheuvel. Luxembourg is 160 miles south of Scherpenheuvel. To travel to Nancy from Scherpenheuvel the most likely route would be through Luxembourg. Being a major city, Luxembourg would be a natural stopping place along the way.
3. The Duke and Duchess of the region, Albert and Isabella, are making an annual pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel. Their first pilgrimage is on November 20, 1603.
4. The Duke and Duchess are building a large stone chapel at Scherpenheuvel.
5. Many pilgrims from around the region are going to Scherpenheuvel.
6. The sister of the Cardinal of Lorraine, Antoinette, has an altarpiece made for the Scherpenheuvel chapel in Nancy. The artwork depicts the Duke and Duchess venerating Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel. This was done after the Cardinal's death in 1607.
7. The intercession of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel is sought throughout the region when people are afflicted and in need of healing. Our Lady of Luxembourg, Consolatrix Afflictorum, is also asked to intercede for the same reason.
8. Great artists of that time are being commissioned to create great works of art for Scherpenheuvel. Theodore van Loon makes a series of paintings for the chapel. People travel just to see this art. This would have been noticed by an educated Jesuit.
9. The Archbishop launched an official enquiry and gave Scherpenheuvel his official approval in 1604.
10. On September 16, 1606, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, a papal indulgence was granted. A Jesuit of the region would almost certainly have been aware of all of these happenings.
11. A fortified town is being designed and built at Scherpenheuvel.
12. The original chapel at Luxembourg looks similar to the large stone chapel at Scherpenheuvel.
13. There was a history of devotion to Our Lady of Consolation, Onze Lieve Vrouw van Troost, by the Augustinian friars in Belgium in earler centuries. Particularly in Heverlee, which is only 21 miles from Scherpenheuvel. Also, the Carmelite nuns at Vilvoorde, which is only 33 miles from Scherpenheuvel, had a devotion to Our Lady of Consolation. The Augustinian monasteries in the region are closed in the 16th century in the aftermath of the Reformation. The Carmelite nuns also go into hiding and their convent is destroyed. The devotion, and the removal from this region, of these established religious orders would have certainly been known to a Jesuit priest of the region. (Today, the convent at Vilvoorde and the monastery at Heverlee have been reestablished and rebuilt.)
14. Scherpenheuvel was being built by the political leaders of the region in order to promote religious unity and devotion in the region. As such, it was not being hidden under a basket. It was intentionally promoted by the secular leaders as well as the religious leaders. All this in a region half the size of Illinois.
15. In the Jesuit church of Antwerp, the current Saint Charles Borromeo church, there is a statue of Mary that was carved by Ottavia Frangipani from the wood of the oak of Scherpenheuvel. The statue has certainly been in the Jesuits' house since 1606 (when an indulgence of 150 days was granted) and was later moved to their current church, where it still stands in a side chapel. (This last paragraph came from an archived Belgian website about Marian statues.)
16. 1726 picture This picture of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, from 1726, looks like Our Lady of Consolation from Luxembourg.
17. Let's look at another example of the spread of the knowledge of Scherpenheuvel to an even greater distance. Notre Dame de Bargemon. Bargemon is in southern France, 739 miles from Scherpenheuvel. In 1635 a priest named Fr. Sebastien Gache returned to Bargemon from Belgium with a statue of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel. Just before his return Elisabeth Caille, a local resident, had been visited by a mysterious, beautiful lady. Elisabeth had been suffering from a physical ailment and was healed by the lady. The complete story can be found at this web site:
https://thecatholictravelguide.com/destinations/france/bargemon-shrine-of-notre-dame-de-bargemon/
The picture above is a medal I purchased. It shows a statue of Mary with Jesus in an oak tree. Albert and Isabella are kneeling in prayer. The proportions are not correct. The tree would be much larger, and the statue was only 29 inches high, smaller than Albert and Isabella. These proportions rightly make Mary and Jesus more prominent. The inscription reads:
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel Bid Voor Ons
Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel Pray For Us
In the second half of the 16th century, a statue of Mary with the child Jesus was found in a large oak tree in a rural area of Belgium. The tree was on top of a hill where Shepards would sometimes take sheep to graze. Eventually, the statue wore a large mantle, perhaps made by Isabella. This type of depiction of the Blessed Virgin is known as a Schutzmantlemadonna. Translated as protective mantle Madonna. It was common in parts of Europe. The symbolism was that she could take you under the protection of her mantle, or cloak. This idea dates back to an ancient Marian prayer called Sub Tuum Praesidium, which translates to Under Thy Protection. There is a fragment of this prayer in Greek that dates to 250 AD. Pope Francis requested that this prayer be added to the rosary during October of 2018 for unity in the Church. The mantle on the statue at Scherpenheuvel seems to have been added later by Isabella. She brought the tradition from Spain.
The statue and the oak tree were located on top of a hill known as Scherpenheuvel, or Sharp Hill. The nearest town, Zichem, was 2 miles away. The statue became known as Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, but residents of Zichem also claimed it as Our Lady of Zichem. Locals had a tradition of making a trek to Scherpenheuvel to pray for Mary's intercession whenever a family member was sick. Cures became attributed to Mary's intercession. Word spread and more people came. As word continued to spread, pilgrimages were being made from farther and farther away.
Mathias Hovius, Archbishop of Mechelen, conducted an official enquiry into the happenings at Scherpenheuvel and gave his official approval in 1604. On September 16, 1606, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, a papal indulgence was granted. More people showed up. A wooden chapel was built in 1602 and the statue moved into the chapel. Soon that was too small for the many visitors and a stone chapel was built in 1603. The corner stone was laid by Count Federik Vandenbergh. Soon this was also too small and the Duke and Duchess of the region, Albert and Isabella, started construction on a large stone chapel in 1609. They made an annual pilgrimage to the site beginning in 1603 and would stay for 9 days each time. They had the financial resources to build a beautiful chapel.
Some pilgrims were taking bits of the tree home as souvenirs. Some were even claiming those bits of the tree had healing power. The Archbishop had the oak tree chopped down. Sounds like St. Boniface. Indeed, they made the same connection and today there is a statue of St. Boniface in the Chapel. Archbishop Hovius went one step further. He had the tree cut up and then had those blocks of wood carved into statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These were then distributed to parishes all over the region. This further spread the devotion and fame. These statues were considered very special because they were made of "Montague wood". Montague is French for sharp hill. Part of Belgium speaks Flemish, a Dutch dialect, and the rest speaks French. To the French speakers the statue became known as Notre Dame de Montague. To the Dutch it was Onze Lieve Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel. (In many parts of Belgium, Mary was known as Onze Lieve Vrouw van Troost. Troost meaning consolation. The Carmelites in Vilvoorde and the Augustinians in Heverlee were using that title in the 1300s. I hope to eventually write a bit about that and make a connection to Scherpenheuvel.)
The large stone chapel had seven sides and a dome. Each side had artwork depicting one of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Beautiful paintings were commissioned by the Dutch master Theodore van Loon. Wonderful statues were made depicting various saints. This magnificent artwork made the site an even more popular destination. The local priests could not take care of the spiritual needs of all the visitors and so the Bishop assigned a group of Oratorians to the site. They built their living quarters next to the chapel. The Oratorians were an order of priests founded by St. Philip Neri. St. Philip Neri promoted devotion to Mary. Here is a quote from St. Philip Neri: "My little children, be devout to Mary: I know what I am saying! Be devout to Mary!" (2007 edition of Knights of Columbus prayer book printed in Belgium, page 26. Imprimatur Bishop William Lori.)
A fortified town was designed and built around the chapel.
Cardinal Charles of Lorraine founded a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel at the Jesuit novitiate at the town of Nancy, in the region of Lorraine. Today, because borders have changed, Nancy is in France, just south of Luxembourg. When Charles died in 1607, his sister, Antoinette, commissioned an altar piece depicting the Duke and Duchess praying before the statue at Scherpenheuvel.
The French Calvinist are making inroads into what is now the French speaking part of Belgium. They are telling people they don't need the Catholic church, indulgences are a scam, you don't need to confess your sins to a priest, etc. They are claiming to represent the original Christian religion before the big, bad Catholic church corrupted it. They are doing well and making converts. Then they made a big mistake. They started ridiculing the Marian devotion in the region. You don't go making fun of a person's mother. The locals were convinced that family members and friends had been healed by God after Mary had interceded for them. They relied on Mary's intercession when afflicted. Marian devotion helped the region remain staunchly Catholic.
Links to information and pictures from Scherpenheuvel:
https://www.okv.be/artikel/scherpenheuvel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_Scherpenheuvel
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onze-Lieve-Vrouw_van_Scherpenheuvel
https://web.archive.org/web/20120207110856/http://www.religieuserfgoed.be/site/871.html
Personal note. Scherpenheuvel is 7 miles from Houwaart, where my Great Grandparents lived in Belgium. On May 2, 1922 the shrine was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Pious XI. On November 19, 1924 my Great Grandparents boarded a ship to America that left from Antwerp. Tremelo, Belgium is the birthplace of St. Damian of Moloki. Tremelo is 15 miles from Houwaart and Vilvoorde is 33 miles from Scherpenheuvel.
When looking at Scherpenheuvel, Luxembourg, and Kevelaer, it will help to have some historical context. We will be looking at the first half of the 17th century (1600 to 1650). The Reformation began in the 16th century. Because of the Reformation there is now religious division and wars of religion. Secular leaders are interested in the outcomes of these wars for various reasons. The region we will be looking at, the Spanish Netherlands, is mostly Catholic. Calvinism is making great strides to the west in France and to the north in what would become the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Lutheranism is making great strides in the collection of small countries to the east that would eventually become Germany. The small Catholic region in the middle is surrounded. The 80 Years War and the 30 Years War are being fought. The 30 Years War results in 3.5 to 8 million deaths of soldiers and civilians. These wars are ended by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The nations of Belgium and Luxembourg do not yet exist. The City of Luxembourg does. (The Spanish Netherlands becomes the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. Belgium seceded in 1830 to form a separate country. Half of Luxembourg also became part of Belgium at that time.) The region is ruled by Spain. Some in the region do not want to be ruled by Spain. Also, the plague has shown up again. It had been gone about 3 centuries, but it is suspected it merely lay dormant in the rodent population all that time.
Mathias Hovius is Archbishop of Mechelen. He oversees Scherpenheuvel. He approved of Scherpenheuvel, had the oak tree there cut down, and sent the Oratorians there to minister to the pilgrims. Hovius was instrumental in the Counter-Reformation in that area. He became a priest in 1566, the same year the Beeldenstorm came to the Netherlands. The Beeldenstorm was an extreme movement of iconoclasts. Many statues were destroyed or were hidden by the faithful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Hovius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeldenstorm
The Beeldenstorm hit the region that would become Belgium very hard beginning in 1566. It is amazing that any Marian statues survived.
Archbishop Mathias Hovius oversaw the implementation of the decrees of the Council of Trent in his diocese. He also oversaw the creation of a catechism that was still used in Belgium into the 20th century. For more information on Archbishop Hovius, see "A Bishop's Tale" by Craig Harline and Eddy Put, published by Yale University Press. I have that book. It has an entire chapter on Our Lady of Consolation.
Interesting side note: Some of the Puritans, known today as the Pilgrims, sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 for New England. They left from the Spanish Netherlands. They had moved there from England because of religious persecution.
Now, let's look at Scherpenheuvel.
Discovering Europe, a synopsis
The shrines at Leopold and Carey had roots in Belgium and Luxembourg. Both statues came from Luxembourg. Luxembourg was the obvious next step to learn about Our Lady of Consolation.
In 1626 a Jesuit priest, Fr. Jacques Broquart, recovered from the plague after praying to Mary to intercede for him. In thanksgiving, he made a procession with a statue of Mary. He gave that statue the title Consolatrix Afflictorum. An annual procession became very popular in Luxembourg and many healings were attributed to the intercession of Mary. Luxembourg became a popular pilgrimage site. Luxembourg and Belgium are neighbors, however, I wanted to know more about how Our Lady of Consolation became popular in Belgium. Information online was lacking. Until I searched under the title Consolatrix Afflictorum.
Searching for Consolatrix Afflictorum brought up a wealth of information, and led especially to Kevelaer, Germany. A great source of information came from Fr. Norbert Siwinski, OFM Conv, Ph.D. He had posted online a paper that had pages of footnotes and citations.
It was in Polish, German, and Latin. Google translate was used to translate it to English.
The shrine in Kevelaer has a direct connection to Luxembourg. The image in Kevelaer came from Luxembourg. Kevelaer was still not Belgium. At the western edge of Germany, it was close. The history of Kevelaer led to Scherpenheuvel, which was in Belgium. Oratorian priests from Scherpenheuvel were transfered to Kevelaer. The architecture of the shrine at Kevelaer was modeled after that of Scherpenheuvel.
I got information about the history of Scherpenheuvel from Wikipedia and from an article by Prof. Luc Durloo, and Dr. Marc Wingens, Ph.D. (and other contributors who discussed art). This article was found by searching in Dutch for Onze Lieve Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel and Onze Lieve Vrouw van Troost. Our Lady of Sharp Hill and Our Lady of Consolation. Other sources were also found by searching in the original languages.
https://www.okv.be/artikel/scherpenheuvel
This had to be translated from Dutch. (Bits of information about Scherpenheuvel, Luxembourg, and Kevelear were gleaned from all over. These two links are listed because they were crucial in my continued discovery.)
Scherpenheuvel in turn led to the Jesuit novitiate in Nancy, France. Nancy was near Luxembourg. Remember my investigation started with a Jesuit in Luxembourg. Also, I learned about Montague wood from Scherpenheuvel and how it was made into statues that went throughout the region.
Studying the history of the region helped. At the time period we will be looking at, the region was called the Spanish Netherlands. Kevelaer and Nancy were not in Germany and France then. Borders have moved in the last 400 years. This was also after the Reformation, during the 80 Years War and the 30 Years War, just before the Peace of Westphalia.
Now there was a "triangle" of Marian devotion that seemed to be connected. Scherpenheuvel, Luxembourg, and Kevelaer. This is where we will dig deeper into the history in chronological order. Eventually, the Good Lord willing, I plan to go back even farther in history to Vilvoorde, Belgium and Turin, Italy and the Augustinians.
The following prayer is found on page 12 of the May 1970 edition of the Manual of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation. This manual came from Carey, Ohio.
Prayer to Our Lady of Consolation for All in Affliction
Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and our most compassionate mother, we present ourselves humbly before you, with full confidence.
You have been proclaimed by holy Church the Comforter of the Afflicted; and to you constant recourse is had by the sorrowful in their afflictions, the poor in their straitened circumstances, those who stand in all manner of need in both public and private calamities; and from you they all receive consolation and strength. Mother of the Church, our dearest mother, look on us also, sinners that we are, and graciously accept our humble and confident prayers. Aid us in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; deliver us from all evil and especially from sin, which is the greatest evil. Obtain for us from your son Jesus every blessing which you see we need, especially the greatest blessing of all, which is divine grace. Comfort our spirits, troubled and afflicted in the midst of the many dangers that threaten us, and the countless miseries and misfortunes that beset us on every side. This we ask through that immense joy which filled you in the glorious resurrection of your divine Son.
Obtain tranquility for holy Church, help and comfort for her visible head, the Roman Pontiff, peace for Christian leaders, relief for those in purgatory, for sinners, the forgiveness of their sins, and for the just, perseverance in well-doing. Receive us all, our most tender Mother, under your loving and mighty protection, that we may be enabled to live virtuously, die holy and attain everlasting happiness in heaven. Amen.
The Basilica maintains an excellent web site full of information. Rather than repeat their information or share their pictures, I have chosen to post the following links. Much of the information above came from a Confraternity manual dated 1970 (an Ebay purchase) and from a Luxembourg website (we will soon be looking at Luxembourg).
You may think that you have never heard of Our Lady of Consolation. If you have ever heard a Marian litany in a Catholic church, then you have heard of Mary by the Latin title of Consolatrix Afflictorum. This Latin title translates into English as Consoler of the Afflicted or Comforter of the Afflicted. This title is found in the Litany of Loreto which dates to before 1558. It is sometimes called the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This litany was approved for use by the Church by Pope Sixtus the V in 1587.
The title Our Lady of Consolation is older than the Litany of Loreto. In a convent in Vilvoorde, Belgium, the nuns have a statue of Our Lady of Consolation that dates to the 13th century. In their Flemish language the title is Onze Lieve Vrouw van Troost. Augustinian friars also venerated Mary as Our Lady of Consolation, or Consolatrix Afflictorum, long before the Litany of Loreto. We will go more in depth about the Augustinians and also about Vilvoorde. Now I merely want to show that the title is quite old and that many have heard it in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary is sometimes referred to as Comforter of the Afflicted in the prayers of Vespers (Evening Prayer).
St. Louis De Montfort wrote the following:
Have you strayed from the path leading to heaven? Then call on Mary, for her name means “Star of the Sea, the North Star which guides the ships of our souls during the voyage of this life,” and she will guide you to the harbor of eternal salvation.
Are you in sorrow? Turn to Mary, for her name means also “Sea of Bitterness which has been filled with sharp pain in this world but which is now turned into a Sea of the Purest Joy in heaven,” and she will turn your sorrow to joy and your afflictions into consolation. - St. Louis De Montfort in The Secret of the Rosary, 20th Rose
https://rosarycenter.org/secret-of-the-rosary
Note in the last line quoted "she will turn your sorrow into joy and your AFFLICTIONS into CONSOLATION." St. Louis De Montfort lived from 1673 to 1716.
St. Louis De Montfort had a great influence on Pope St. John Paul II.
Cardinal Alexis-Henri-Marie Lépicier, O.S.M, wrote a book titled The Fairest Flower of Paradise. It is a commentary on the various titles used for Mary in the Litany of Loreto. There is a section on the title Consolatrix Afflictorum. This book, from 1922, is available online for free.
Here are some old photos of the shrine in Leopold. Before the grotto was built.
This post can be skipped if you just want to learn about Our Lady of Consolation.
Leopold, Indiana is not the only parish in the United States associated with Our Lady of Consolation. Here are six others. There could be more.
1. St. Mary's Catholic Church in Remsen, Iowa. At the time it was founded in 1870, over half of the members of the parish were from Luxembourg. The statue of Our Lady of Consolation came from Luxembourg in 1939 when dignitaries from Luxembourg visited. The government of Luxembourg was in exile due to WWII. The statue itself is estimated to be 175 to 225 years old in 2020. This video provides history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJO7Xu80ocQ
This video shows the same statue without the vestments. More history is in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kInLtCYsNh8
2. Our Lady of Consolation Church in Merrillville, Indiana. Founded in 1947. The name was changed to Our Lady of Consolation in 1966. https://www.olcweb.org/index.html
The following picture is from Merrillville.
3. Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Parish in Rockford, Michigan. The following information was taken from their web site. https://olcparishrockford.com/parish/
Our Lady of Consolation began in 1964 with about 60 families as a mission of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Belmont. Msgr. Joseph Podhajski and the Consolata Missionary sisters served both Assumption and the new mission.
Bishop Allen Babcock, in 1968, dedicated the mission, which had simply been known as “The Annex”, to the mother of Jesus as Our Lady of Consolation. The name was chosen in tribute to the Consolata Sisters, who taught at the school. The sisters continue to be a presence in the school and retain a convent in Belmont, just west of Rockford.
4. Our Lady of Consolation Church in Philadelphia, PA. The following information was taken from their web site. https://olctacony.com/home/
Erected as an Italian parish in 1918 because of the large Italian Catholic population at the time, within the last five years due to the merger with St. Leo the Great Parish, the demographic of the parish now has a vibrant Spanish community.
5. Our Lady of Consolation Church in Brooklyn, NY. This is a Polish congregation. https://olcny.org/
6. Our Lady of Consolation Church in Parkesburg, PA. http://www.olcchurch.org/
Soon we will learn about the Shrine in Carey, Ohio. Then we will go to Europe to learn even more about Our Lady of Consolation.
Following is a condensed version of the history of the Shrine that was printed for visitors to Leopold.
September 1863 at the Battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War, Union forces were defeated. Many prisoners were taken. They were sent to the infamous POW camp at Andersonville in Georgia. Conditions there were terrible. More than 14,000 northern soldiers died there. Among the prisoners were three young men from Perry County, Indiana. They were members of St. Agustine Church in Leopold. They were Lambert Rogier, Henry Devillez and Isidore Naviaux. Being men of faith, they turned to prayer and Our Blessed Mother for help and consolation.
Henry Devillez came to the states from Belgium as a boy of 14. He remembered the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Luxembourg. In their present affliction, the three men made a vow that, if they survived prison, one of them would return to their native Belgium and have a replica of the statue made and bring it back to St. Agustine Church.
About 11 months later they were freed. After a number of hardships, they reached home and set about fulfilling the vow they had made to Mary.
Mr. Rogier traveled with a Mr. John George, who made frequent trips to Belgium. They made their way to Luxembourg and had an exact copy made of the statue of Our Lady of Consolation. Mr. Rogier arrived back in New York City on July 4th of 1867. He brought the statue to Leopold. It was enshrined on the side altar at St. Agustine Chruch where it remains to this day.
A larger marble replica of the statue was installed on the west side of the church in 1960. In 2012 a grotto was constructed for the outdoor statue. The Archbishop of Indianapolis blessed the outdoor grotto and statue in 2013. Here is the Archbishop in 2013.
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On Saturday, July 2, 2022, I went to the small town of Leopold, Indiana. The Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation is part of the parish of St. Agustine there.
Outside there was a sign that said:
St. Agustine Catholic Church
Our Lady of Consolation Shrine
There was a marble statue of Our Lady of Consolation outside.
Inside was a statue of Our Lady of Consolation. It was made to look like Our Lady of Consolation, Consolatrix Afflictorum, that is in Luxembourg.
I talked to nice fellow. He was 87 and had been a member there all his life. He was able to tell me a few things about the parish and the shrine. The pastor lives right across the street and was expected to come over soon, but I never met him. I spent a couple of hours there. Here is some video of my visit.
In 2012 I went on a retreat at the Benedictine monastery in St. Meinrad, Indiana. There I met a Benedictine monk named Father Sean Hoppe. Five years later, in 2017, I made my second retreat. I saw Fr. Sean again. I bought a rosary at their gift shop and Fr. Sean blessed it. The center piece was Our Lady of Einsiedeln. After I got home, I realized that Our Lady of Einsiedeln looked a lot like my tiny statue.
Five years later, in 2022, I was at the monastery again. I showed Fr. Sean my little statue and the rosary he had blessed. I told him the story of the statue and asked him if he thought my statue was Our Lady of Einsiedeln. He said no, it wasn't. He told me he had spent a few years in Belgium, and that my statue was Our Lady of Consolation. He told me that Our Lady of Consolation was very popular in Belgium. He also told me there was a shrine for Our Lady of Consolation just 15 miles from where we were! The Holy Spirit had led me to the right person. Fr. Sean. After 53 years of mystery, I now knew the title of the statue. And I was only 15 miles from a shrine with a full-size statue!
When I was a child, I was given a tiny statue. It was from my Great Grandparents, and it came from Belgium. If I was told more about it, I do not remember. I put it in a desk drawer. For over 50 years it would remain in that desk. Once or twice a year I would find it when I was looking for something else.
The statue was a mystery. Did this particular image of Mary have a title? A story? A history? A particular devotion? I was unable to find any information. Until 2022.
(By the way, in 2022 I learned that my tiny statue is a "pocket shrine". Just Google "pocket shrine" to learn more.)
