OUR LADY OF VICTORIES

OUR LADY OF VICTORIES - 26 OCTOBER

OUR LADY OF VICTORIES

The statue of Our Lady of Victories

The miraculous and historic statue of Our Lady of Victories is a renowned 19th-century hardened plaster masterpiece depicting the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child standing upon the globe, housed in the sanctuary of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Paris, France.

The title Our Lady of Victories is also often used in connection with the Victory of Lepanto and Our Lady of the Rosary. This particular church, however, has its own wonderful story. In 1620, King Louis XIII of France made a vow that if his troops were successful in driving the Huguenots from their fortress in La Rochelle, he would build a church in honour of the Blessed Virgin. After the victory in 1628, a site for the church was selected on the property of the Discalced Hermits of Saint Augustine in Paris.

King Louis himself laid the foundation stone, one that was inscribed with a dedication to Our Lady of Victories, on September 9, 1629. However, due to several delays, the church building was completed only in 1740.

A 1922 photo of Our Lady of Victories Basilica, Paris

The present statue of Our Lady of Victories, believed to be the work of an Italian sculptor, replaced the statue of Our Lady of Savona, which had disappeared during the Revolution. Installed in 1809, this statue was solemnly crowned on July 9, 1853, by order of Pope Pius IX.

Mozart liked to say his Rosary in this church when he was in Paris; Saint John Henry Newman went there to give thanks for his conversion. Later, the young Saint Therese of Lisieux prayed before the statue of Our Lady of Victories for Mary’s help, experiencing a profound grace when she felt quite poorly.

The basilica's walls are lined with ex votos

A myriad of miracles occured following prayers at this church; it is lined with ex votos. A notable event took place in 1846, when Father Charles Desgenettes was pastor. As the building was located in a business area, he had very few parishioners, and he believed that he had failed in his ministry there. He was on the point of resigning his charge when, on December 3, 1846, during and after Mass, he heard an interior voice say "Consecrate your parish to the holy and immaculate Heart of Mary." With the Archbishop's permission, he consecrated the church to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on December 11, 1846. That morning, fewer than 40 people had been at Mass, but the evening service was suddenly packed with more than 500 faithful. In 1927 the church was elevated to the rank of a minor basilica.

Sources: - https://www.notredamedesvictoires.com/en/tour-the-statue-of-the-virgin-and-its-rescue/ - https://insidethevatican.com/magazine/culture/feast-lady-victories-october-26/ - https://onepeterfive.com/history-lady-victory/ - http://www.thereseoflisieux.org/my-blog-about-st-therese/2017/5/7/st-thereses-images-of-mary-our-lady-of-victories-may-7-2017.html

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