Our Lady of Tilly--sur-Seulles

Marian devotion

Where is he?

The chapel of Our Lady of Tilly, also called the chapel of the Most Holy Rosary or chapel of the Apparitions, is located in Tilly--sur-Seulles, department of Calvados, region of Normandy, France. The point of the map corresponds to the chapel identified by OpenStreetMap on the path to the chapel. The official site of the site publishes GPS coordinates close to this building; the verified OSM geometry is kept here to avoid presenting an exact different data.

Documented history

The municipality of Tilly-sur-Seulles explains that Marie Martel had reported apparitions of the Virgin between 1896 and 1903 and that in 1897 a first chapel was built. It also notes that the place received pilgrims, especially around the Feast of the Assumption, and that a subsequent reconstruction took place in 1953. These data describe the existence of the chapel, local memory and devotional influx; they do not turn the accounts into proven supernatural facts.

On February 14, 2022, the diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux published a specific communiqué on the chapel of the Most Holy Rosary. In him, the bishop recalls that the apparitions that have occurred since March 1896 have not been recognized by the Catholic Church. The same statement warns that the person who currently encourages the place is not a Catholic priest and does not celebrate the sacraments there.

Tradition and accounts

The local tradition attributes to Marie Martel several visions and messages of the Virgin Mary. The association linked to the place retains testimonies and proposes the prayer of the Rosary. The document presents them as attributed testimonies and statements, not as apparitions accepted by the Church. The existence of a place of prayer and of people who pilgrim there does not amount to an approval of the phenomenon.

Legend

The messages, the circumstances of the visions and the prophetic interpretations must remain within the scope of the alleged as long as there is no ecclesial pronunciation to approve them. The diocese calls for clear caution: Catholic masses or offices celebrated by a priest of the Church should not be announced in that place if there is no such priest. This warning is part of the recent history and current state of the case.

Ecclesial State

The Diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux expressly states that the apparitions of Tilly- sur- Seulles have not been recognized by the Catholic Church. For this reason the state is recorded no pronunciada in the sense that there is no ecclesial recognition of the supernatural; the fact sheet does not present the case as approved. The diocesan communiqué of 14 February 2022 is the source of the state and must prevail over the devotional advertising of the place.

Anecdotes and stories

The chapel retains a local memory that has passed more than a century: the initial accounts, the construction of 1897, the pilgrimages and the reconstruction of 1953. This memory can be studied and visited without confusing it with a recognized Catholic sanctuary. Those who pray there must respect the consciousness of the pilgrims and, at the same time, the pastoral indication of the diocese.

Prayer

Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, intercedes before Jesus Christ for those who seek the truth, for those who suffer confusion and for those who need comfort. Grant us discernment, respect for the authority of the Church and a charity that does not turn the testimonies into unsubstantiated certainties. Amen.

Sources

• Diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux: Communiqué on the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary.
• City of Tilly-sur-Seulles: chapel of Our Lady of Tilly.
• OpenStreetMap: Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Tilly.