Augustinians propagated devotion to Our Lady of Consolation dating back to at least 1436. It is likely they had something to do with Our Lady of Consolation becoming so popular in the Spanish Netherlands, part of which would eventually become Belgium.
St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, was very troubled by the direction her son was going. She prayed for the conversion of her son. Augustine did convert to Christianity. Eventually, he became a bishop and a great theologian. Monica found consolation and help by praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pious legend tells us that, to console Monica, Mary gave her a black belt, called a cincture. Mary promised Monica that whoever wore this cincture would be under her protection. The Augustinians wear a black cincture to this day. Our Lady of Consolation and St. Augustine and St. Monica are the three patron saints of the Augustinian order.
Before the reformation, the Augustinians were active and well represented in the region that would become Germany and Belgium. Augustinian monasteries are grouped together in provinces. At one time, in the 14th century, there were over 80 Augustinian monasteries in the German province. Flemish Belgium was at that time a part of the German province. The rest of what would become Belgium was part of the French province.
After the Reformation, the Augustinian Order in Belgium went into decline. Eventually, only one monastery remained. That was in Leuven. Leuven is only 18 miles from Scherpenheuvel (see earlier posts about Scherpenheuvel). Martin Luther, a key figure of the Reformation, was once an Augustinian friar. Some Augustinians followed Luther out of the Catholic Church. Others left the region due to persecution from reformers and the difficulties caused by the reformation and the wars. After leaving the Church, Luther lived in what had been his old monastery with his family.
After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the Augustinians saw a revival in Belgium. Monasteries were opened in at least 16 locations. After the French Revolution the monasteries were again closed. Eventually they were rebuilt or reopened after the French left. There is a church and monastery named for Our Lady of Consolation in Heverlee, Belgium.
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