Nuestra Señora of the Blackish Hermitage

Marian devotion

Where is he?

The shrine of Our Lady of Hermitage is on the heights of Noirétable, department of the Loire, region of Auvergnia-Rhódano-Alpes, France. It is located in the mountains of the Forez, about seven kilometres from Noiretable and about 1,100 meters of altitude, in a wooded environment. The point of the map corresponds to the place of worship identified by OpenStreetMap and does not intend to point out each point of the source, of the rock or of the episodes narrated in the tradition.

Documented history

The Diocese of Saint- Etienne presents l'Hermitage as a sanctuary and place of reception for pilgrims. In the 12th century, diocesan history was the origin of the tradition of a hermit that would have reached the forests of the Forez by fleeing after a crime. The first official document cited by the diocese that mentions the pilgrimage of Noirétable is 1381. This date documents the existence of the pilgrimage; it does not in itself demonstrate that the apparition narrated in the 12th century was a supernatural fact.

The first church rose near the fountain and its chapel. The place was served by Benedictines of Noiretable linked to Cluny. In the 17th century, in the context of the fight against Protestantism, missionaries arrived and the monastery of the present location was completed in 1669. The main physionomy of the whole is related to the works of the 18th century, especially the house raised in 1740 and the state described in 1746.

The French Revolution hit the community hard. The diocesan source recalls executed priests and others forced to live in hiding. Later, the Fathers of the Union to the Most Holy Sacrament promoted the restoration and resumption of the pilgrimage. The missionaries of La Salette arrived in 1889, withdrew by the anti-lerical laws of 1905 and returned in 1925. Since 2000, a community of La Salette sisters has taken care of the foster home.

The main building suffered a serious fire in 1951 and was rebuilt. The sanctuary conserves a chapel, a road to the fountain, a great place and reception spaces. The diocese presents it as a place of celebrations, retreats, rest and pilgrimage. Two specially noted annual pilgrimages are held around August 15 and September 8, with procession to the fountain and mass.

Tradition

Tradition tells that a man involved in the death of a noble family took refuge in the forest. There Mary would have appeared to him and asked him to confess before the Prior of Noiretable and return to do penance. According to the story, man became the first hermit of the place. The fountain and stone that the Virgin would have stepped upon were integrated into the spiritual geography of the sanctuary.

Legend

The apparition of a criminal, the miraculous character of the source and the footprint of Mary on the stone belong to the tradition narrated by the diocese. There is also an ancient idea of a druidic pilgrimage, which the source itself calls legend. None of these elements should be published as historical findings or as approval of an apparition if no specific ecclesial document is provided.

Ecclesial State

It consists of a Catholic sanctuary with reception, celebrations and pilgrimages under diocesan responsibility and the sisters of La Salette. There is no decree in the cross-cutting sources that supernatural recognition of the apparition attributed to the 12th century, nor a pronunciation that declares the source miraculous. That is why the state offered here is that of allowed Catholic veneration and local tradition, not of approved apparition.

Anecdotes and stories

The sanctuary maintains a dimension of hospitality. The community offers accommodation and meals to pilgrims and visitors, and the tour of the forest leads to the chapel of the fountain. The procession of August 15 and September 8 unite the prayer, the walk and the memory of the place. The diocese describes its influence as mainly regional, with visitors from around the Foez and Puy-de-Dôme.

The great fire of 1951 is part of the recent history of the house: the reconstruction preserved the life of the sanctuary and allowed the reception to continue. In the present, the place serves both pilgrims and people who seek silence, retreat and rest. This pastoral function is documented and does not need to be supported by the literal acceptance of each traditional account.

Prayer

Holy Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for those who need to return to God, recognize evil and begin a new life. He intercedes before Jesus Christ for the pilgrims of l'Hermitage, for those who seek reconciliation and for those who serve in the reception. Give us a humble heart, willing to ask for forgiveness and to repair the damage. Amen.

Sources

• Diócesis de Saint-Étienne: Our Lady of Hermitage.
• Diocesan location record.
• OpenStreetMap, Santuario de l'Hermitage.