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About 300 people came to attend the evening vigil at the chapel of the Foyer of Light and Charity. Courset is located far from the busy roads and big cities. A few hundred inhabitants of the village are little interested in this remote place in the big palace park. Therefore the people who came on this Monday evening covered 10, 30 or 70 kms to get here.

The vigil led by the lay Emmanuel community of Boulogne-sur-Mer started at 7.30 PM with the adoration of the Holy Sacrament placed just in front of the Icon of the Mother of God. All present approached in silence and concentration to venerate the Son and His Mother. Later there were meditations, prayers and songs/hymns. It was pointed out that the Blessed Mother of God of Częstochowa, and the Mother of God of Boulogne, for centuries venerated by knights, sailors, fishermen and ... pirates of this port town, were related in having their feast on the 26th of August.

„Do not fear to ask for too much” – this encouragement pronounced at the beginning of the evening was the keynote of this meeting with the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was held in the atmosphere of outstanding reverance, respect and devotion, as well as love and trust. When having read the act of entrustment to Our Lady they started the Litany to The Sorrowful Mother of God you could feel extraordinary seriousness. The prayer drama was increased by undescribable concentration of the people praying – they were focused and entrusting the fate of the present difficult world into the arms of their Mother in full confidence. This world is difficult for mothers, for families, for married couples. Difficult for those who are concerned about life. It was all a big, beautiful and tender devotion in prayer.

At the end the Emmanuel members told us a story from the life of St. Bernadetta Soubirou when she was already a nun. The Mother Superior reproached her for hiding an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a wardrobe. “Because this is Her”!- Bernadetta was supposed to say. Intrigued by such a firm answer, The Mother Superior asked the Bishop of the place to bring her an album with paintings of the Virgin Mary. Bernadeta was looking at the masterpieces without much interest. However when she saw the icon of the Mother of God she raised and paid respect to her.

The lights were turned off, the chapel in Courset was empty. At the lighted Icon a few Foyer members stayed in prayer. There came the time for a close, personal conversation with the Mother of Częstochowa.


Agata – the correspondent from France