First business district in Europe blessed by Our Lady

An important Marian pilgrimage took place along 1,242 miles of French roads last summer, tracing a giant "M for Mary," from June 1st to September 13, 2020, stopping at five major French sites of Marian apparitions. Pilgrims walked behind a statue of Our Lady of France, carried in two horse-drawn carriages that followed different routes:

• The western route—starting from Lourdes—that made a stop (among others) at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Pontmain;
• The eastern route—starting from La Salette—that made a stop in Paris for 6 days, and was in the French capital for the great feast of the Assumption. Its pilgrims were greeted with great solemnity by the Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, who led a Rosary on August 14th in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, and presided at the Mass on August 15th at Sacred Heart Basilica in Montmartre, in the presence of the pilgrims and one of the statues of Our Lady of France.

The next day, the procession went to the business district of Paris called La Defense, where Mary's carriage circled around the large square to bless the first business district in Europe. The hundred or so faithful present for the occasion prayed fervently for the nearly 180,000 people who work in the skyscrapers above. Afterwards, they attended Mass, right next to the Grande Arche of La Defense.

To see the photos: Aleteia