A show about Our Lady growing in popularity every year

"The Astonishing Story of Boulogne-sur-Mer" is a live historical show retracing the 1,500 years of the city of Boulogne (northern France) through the lens of Our Lady of Boulogne-sur-Mer Cathedral. The 300 volunteers performing alongside professionals are both Christians and non-believers. The spectacular show inside the cathedral is at once dramatic, humorous, and deeply moving. At one point, the statue of the Madonna and Child of Boulogne is circulated among the audience in almost complete silence except for a song coming from the vaulted ceiling as the statue goes by, carried by four sailors with visible emotion on their faces.

The show was created to evoke the mysterious appearance in 636 AD of a statue of Our Lady on the seashore, washed up by the sea, whose reputation gave rise to a great pilgrimage that has attracted millions of people, including almost all the kings of France. The large, beautiful cathedral was rebuilt after the French Revolution by a young priest. It is visible from the high seas so as to bring comfort to sailors.

Under the dome, six 19^th-century frescoes dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary are signed by the painter Charles Soulacroix. These rare masterpieces were threatened by deterioration, but since the show opened in 2011, patrons of the arts are contributing to their expensive restoration and the work is progressing.

This magnificent show designed to preserve Boulogne-sur-Mer’s cultural heritage stresses the importance of the simple, deep and universal faith of men and women of all times, under the loving gaze of the Virgin Mary.

Elisabeth Bourgois, a contemporary, French, Catholic writer