The Queen of Peace

When King Philip Augustus and the King of England were fighting for the Duchy of Aquitaine, on June 24, 1187, Our Lady of Miracles at Deols intervened. The King of France, having sought peace in vain, decided to fight battle so as to "at last put an end to such a long war by taking decisive action." The people of Deols, afraid of the all-out battle about to begin, bowed down in front of an image of Mary, begging her to prevent the bloodshed. As they were praying, the two armies had lined up in smart battle order; the signal for battle was going to sound when suddenly, the King of England came forward with his son and asked to speak to Philip Augustus. He came forth and the king declared to him that he accepted the conditions offered in the previous negotiations so that a peace treaty was signed. Such unexpected news produced a general surge of emotion; kings and lords, people and soldiers recognized that a miracle had occurred in this sudden change of attitudes at the moment when anger was the highest and the battle ready to begin. The same feeling of admiration gathered them around the image of Mary, to give to thanks. They were enemies no more: the French and the English, each one was part of a family of brothers before one mother who had protected them and saved them all from death.