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charred bed—the work of the devil who continually pestered the holy Cure banging on the door at night and generally keeping him from sleep.
His iron cooking pots stil: hang in the tiled-floored kitchee near the ash-strewn grate. In his bedroom a small howl and spoon, a table napkin, breviaries and wire rimmed spectacles lie so casually on a small table—one would think he had just gone out. It was here in 1840 that Our Lady appeared to him on May day, 119 years ago today.
A Miracle
Beyond the square behind the church and Basilica stands the Providence, a home for orphan children founded by the Cure and part of which be himself built. There still stands the wooden kneading trough where dough for the children's bread was miraculously multiplied by the Saint's prayer.
On July 1 there will be a pilgrimage of priests to Art and ordinations for the Belley diocese. On the same day pilgrims will come from Lyons where the National Eucharistic Congress will have just opened.
A triduum in honour of the centenary will take place from August 2-4. On the Sunday the triduum will be opened in the presence of Archbishop Marella, Papal Nuncio to France. On the Monday there will be a pilgrimage of priest-s from all over the world and on the Tuesday-100th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Vianney—Cardinal Feltin, Arch
bishop of Paris and Cardinal Rogues, Archbishop of Rennes will be present. On September 2224 there will be another pilgrimage of priests presided over by Cardinal Gerlier, Archbishop of Lyons.
Another pilgrimage from England is scheduled for September 12-13 again run by the Assumptionists.
But England's pilgrims Last Sunday did not stop at Ar,s. Following the example of St. Jean Vianney who once led his whole parish on pilgrimage to Fourviere, they took the funicular railway up to the lofty hilltop overlooking Lyons and there visited Our Lady's shrine, a well-loved statue standing amid a gorgeous array of baroque decoration, heavily ornamented candlesticks and sanctuary lamps and dressed in stiff brocade bright with embroidery and gni thread.
And here too was a strong link with England. Below the great white church slightly reminiscent of Sacre Coeur in Paris, is a chapel dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas Becket.
In 1168 the Canons of the Cathedral were building. St. Thomas, chased by Henry II, fled to Fourviere and stayed with his friend Archbishop Guichard. The Archbishop told Thomas that the new chapel would be dedicated to the next martyr.
St. Thomas was murdered in 1170, canonised in 1173, and thus the chapel at Fourviere became the first chapel to be dedicated to England's Saint.
And here, England's 1959 pilgrims, from London, Yorkshire, Shrewsbury, Leicestershire, Surrey, Northumberland, Lincolnshire and so on—could they be more representative?—prayed for a just solution to our schools problem and " Faith of Our Fathers " echoed through the dimly lit chapel, its walls covered with thanksgiving offerings, and away out over the great French city.