The Shrine of Montligeon does good to souls

The month of November is dedicated to praying for our deceased and especially for all the souls in Purgatory who are often neglected.

When Father Paul Buguet (1843 -1918) arrived in Montligeon (north-western France), he found a very poor village where most of the men were out of work. He decided to create jobs, and to do this he got a brilliant idea. As he explained: "I wanted to kill two birds with one stone: 1) Have the people pray for the forgotten souls in Purgatory, and in return, 2) Ask those souls for their prayers to provide employment for the workers." So he opened a printing shop and construction sites. These two parallel actions would address both their social needs and their spiritual needs.

The village church of Montligeon became a place of pilgrimage. Father Buguet built a strikingly beautiful basilica in a large open field. He also expanded the printing shop, and bought houses for the employees. Its publishing operation has had a worldwide outreach.

On October 4, 1884, Father Buguet’s bishop granted his episcopal endorsement to the works, and on October 23, 1910, a Motu Proprio of Pope Pius X placed "under his special protection and that of his successors" the expiatory work of Our Lady of Montligeon. Today the Confraternity of Our Lady of Montligeon has nine million members.

According to renowned theologian and Mariologist Father René Laurentin, in his Dictionary of the Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Mary appeared in the church to the priest and his congregation, humbly dressed and in prayer. The hermitage of the Basilica has a year-round guesthouse and functions as the Center of the Spiritual Fraternity of Our Lady of Montligeon.

The Marie de Nazareth editorial team