Marian devotion in Belgium

 The Rosary in Belgium

Our Lady of Consolation was not the only Marian devotion in the Low Countries. 

"In 1236, 15 years after the death of St. Dominic, Dominican priests were serving as the directors of a religious community known as the Beguines of Ghent. A religious community of women, the Beguines were required by their rule to pray three sets of 50 Hail Marys on a daily basis. Before each Our Father, the leader was to read aloud a mystery from the life of Jesus so that everyone could meditate on the mystery while praying the Hail Marys. The fact that the Beguines were performing this practice under the direction of the Dominicans has made many historians posit that the religious women were praying all the mysteries of the rosary-Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious-every day."  Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, in his book "Champions of the Rosary", 2016, page 47. Fr. Calloway attributes this information to Pope Leo XIII, Supremi Apostolatus Officio, Encyclial, September 1, 1883, as quoted in "The Rosary of Our Lady: Translations of the Encyclical and Apostolic Letters of Pope Leo XIII", ed. William Raymond Lawler, OP.  

This was in the 13th century. Recall that it was also in the 13th century that the Beguines at Vilvoorde recieved a statue of Our Lady of Consolation. Vilvoorde is only 38 miles from Ghent. Ghent is also only 36 miles from Mechelen, the seat of the diocese when Scherpenheuvel was approved in the 17th century. 

In the 14th century, because of the Black Plague, society was very much disrupted, and the rosary was neglected. 

Blessed Alan de la Roche (Alanus de Rupe) revived the practice of the rosary in the 15th century. He preached the rosary throughout Northern France, Flanders (today the Flemish speaking region of Belgium), and the Netherlands. He taught for a while in Ghent. He was very successful in re-establishing the rosary and also established the Rosary Confraternity. 

"Blessed Alan died at Zunolle in Flanders September 8, 1475, after having brought over one hundred thousand people into the Confraternity." St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, TAB books edition 1987, page 30. Translated by Mary Barbour. (Zunolle is Zwolle, Netherlands.)

Because of the work of Blessed Alan and his fellow Dominicans, devotion to the rosary eventually spread throughout Europe. This revival of the rosary started in the same region where Our Lady of Consolation became popular. I am not connecting the two devotions, merely pointing out that Marian devotion was very popular in this region during these times. 

Recall that St. Philip Neri founded the Oratorians, the order that ministered at Scherpenheuvel and Kevelaer. St. Philip Neri had a devotion to the rosary. "St. Philip Neri walked the streets of Rome with the rosary in his hand; he sought out wayward souls and by means of the rosary inspired them to repent." Quote by Blessed James Alberione, in Champions of the Rosary by Fr. Donald Calloway, page 269.