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Beauraing, Belgium While reading the chapter on religion in Terry Jordan's The European Culture Area: A Systematic Geography , I examined a map which showed the location of the eight-most important pilgrimage sites for Catholics in Europe. I noted that one of those eight was located in southern Belgium, not very far away from Maastricht. I had never seen a shrine that attracted Catholic pilgrims, so I decided to go on an adventure and examine the site. It was on my way to examine the shrine that I spent time in Dinant! The shrine is located in the small town of Beauraing, Belgium. Beauraing is a short train ride south of Dinant, but it is not located on the Meuse River. It is located in a rather broad valley some distance from the Meuse River. Below you will find a map showing the location of Beauraing, an account of the shrine, and photographs of the area and the shrine. |
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This is a summary of how the shrine came to be located in Beauraing, Belgium. "It was here that the Blessed Virgin appeared to a group of children, between late November 1932 and January 1933. On the evening of 29 November 1932, Fernande Voisin, a fifteen year old girl, Andree Degeimbre, aged fourteen, and her sister Gilberte, aged nine, were with Albert Voisin, aged eleven. They made there way to the local convent school to meet Albert's sister, Gilberte Voisin. They entered the grounds and passed a small Lourdes grotto in front of the railway embankment that skirted the convent garden. While waiting for the front door bell to be answered, Albert looked towards the embankment over the grotto and cried out: 'Look! The Blessed Virgin, dressed in white, is walking above the bridge!' The girls looked and could see the luminous figure of a lady dressed in white walking in mid air, her feet hidden by a little cloud. The sister who answered the door could see nothing, but as soon as Gilberte Voisin reached the door she too saw the figure. Over the next few evenings a pattern gradually developed in which the children would see Mary by a hawthorn tree near the grotto." On December 2, 8, 28, and 30, and on January 1 and 3, the children saw Mary again. The local Catholic bishop appointed a commission of inquiry in 1935. In February 1943, another bishop authorized public devotions to Mary at Beauraing, but it was not until July 1949, that the shrine was officially recognized. Since that time, the location of the Apparitions at Beauraing has attracted Catholic pilgrims from all over the world. |
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And, here is Beauraing. It was located directly south of Dinant. The green areas are forested areas. Beauraing was in an open valley of green pastures and fields. |
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This view is from the train station looking eastward. It is an agricultural area with small villages. Beauraing is to the south, just to the right out of this view. Let's take a walk and find the shrine. |
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This is the Gare de Beauraing - the Beauraing train station. The previous photo was taken from the other side of the station. |
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At the other end of the short street running from the train station is this building. To take this photo I merely turned around from taking the previous one. It was a short street. If you will look carefully, in front of the building, you will see a long, narrow, white sign pointing to the left. That was the sign I needed to see, because without it, I wouldn't have known where the shrine was located. The sign says, Sanctuaire. At the corner, I turned left and looked for other signs as I walked. |
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I walked about a half mile or so then saw another sign pointing to the left. I turned left at the end of this street and walked to this position then turned around and took this photo. Behind me was a corner with another sign pointing to the left toward the shrine - I was about 100 yards from the shrine. |
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As I neared the shrine area, I came across this sign. |
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This is the first thing I saw as I got close to the shrine. This was a covered walkway through which pilgrims could walk as they entered an information center or continued on to the shrine itself. The information center is the glass building through the walkway. The information center was closed when I was there. |
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Just beyond the walkway and information center, to the right, is the Adoration Chapel. I wanted to look inside, but it was also locked. The shrine is to the left. |
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This is the front of the Adoration Chapel. It appeared to be relatively new and was built to accommodate pilgrims who came to visit the shrine. |
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Adjacent to the shrine were three structures like this from which pilgrims could purchase candles, light them, and place them in the glass-enclosed sections. |
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These are the other two glass structures where pilgrims place burning candles. Behind where I took this photo is a wall that identified the dates of the apparitions and what Mary is to have said to the children. Let's look at the wall inscriptions. |
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If you read French, you might be able to read this. The date is written in small letters under the word on the right. This might say, "I am the Immaculate Virgin." |
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A similar phrase and date along the wall. I am not sure what this says. |
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This might say, "Pray always. Pray! Pray very much!" |
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This might say, "That we come here in Pilgrimage." |
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This might say, "I shall convert the sinners." |
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This might say, "Do you love my son? Do you love me? Then sacrifice yourself for me!" |
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This is one of three plaques near the grotto. I don't know what it says. |
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This is another plaque that notes the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1985. |
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Another plaque noted the visit of another Pope in 1947. |
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At one corner of the shrine area is this grotto. This is the major part of the site with a statue of Mary and the hawthorn tree near where the children said they saw Mary. In the background is the railroad bridge above which Mary was said to have been seen. |
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In front of the grotto there are several rows of benches for people to sit or kneel. In this photo, two woman, one standing and one kneeling, are praying toward Mary. |
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This is a good view of the grotto, the benches in front of it, the tree, and the railroad bridge. There were two other very large building near the Adoration chapel. They appeared to be hotel-like structures, perhaps for large numbers of pilgrims who came to stay over night or for several days. On the 1st Saturday and on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of each month, there are pedestrian pilgrimages. |