This French Marian shrine is known to foster priestly vocations

In Coutiches, a small town in northern France (Nord department, in the Hauts-de-France region) is an interesting-looking chapel built in 1952 by a local family against the remnants of a WWI German blockhouse on the side of the road. The chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Foy, just like the village church.

Foy is also the name of a Belgian village not far from Dinant-sur-Meuse. On the road between Foy and Dinant, Belgium, used to be a statue of the Virgin Mary placed in the hollow of an oak tree, to remind travelers to pray and as a sign of divine protection. Forgotten for a while, the statue was rediscovered in 1609 when the oak was cut down. In its place, the villagers decided to build a chapel in memory of the shrine.

This is when a miracle occurred. After praying to the Virgin Mary, an old man was cured of a painful and debilitating hernia. The canonical investigation ordered by the bishop of Liege gave a positive conclusion. Then, a young deaf and mute boy, abandoned in the forest between France and Belgium, was taken in by faithful Christians who had heard of the miraculous virtues of the statue of Our Lady of Foy. The Blessed Virgin appeared to the young boy and gave him back his hearing. Later, during another pilgrimage, the boy also recovered the use of his speech.

As the news spread pilgrims flocked to the site. The chapel was expanded by a nave in 1624. Over the centuries, the shrine has always enjoyed great popularity and reports of miracles have been constant. Our Lady of Foy is now famous outside of Belgium.

Eventually, a copy of the statue came to Coutiches. People come to pray Our Lady of Foy for vocations and to obtain more local priests. The church and a chapel are dedicated to her. In thanksgiving to Our Lady of Foy, a marble plaque affixed to a wall of the chapel lists the names of the natives of Coutiches who became priests.

Among others is Father Gérard Lubrez, who died at age 90 in 2016 after 65 years of priesthood, and witnessed the building of the chapel. The last name on the list (for now) is that of Father Guy Courtecuisse, born in the 1950s and now residing in the rectory of Dechy.

Adapted and translated from: lobservateur.fr