Notre-Dame de Montligeon, a Sanctuary to Pray for the Deceased
In the heart of Normandy rises a basilica and a place of pilgrimage to pray for the souls in purgatory. A place of spiritual renewal and consolation, especially after the death of a loved one, the Notre-Dame de Montligeon sanctuary, which came into being in the 19th century, is a unique place in France where we can receive many graces.
Abbé Buguet, Founder of the Sanctuary
Everything begins with the inspiration of a simple Norman priest, Abbé Paul-Joseph Buguet.
Paul-Joseph is born in a small village in Normandy on March 25, 1843. He enters the seminary in 1862 and is ordained a priest at age 23. He has great faith and grand projects. For just under 10 years, he will be a vicar before becoming a parish priest at age 31.
In 1876, Abbé Buguet is deeply affected by three deaths in his family. It is following the death of his loved ones that he has the great desire to pray and have others pray for the deceased.
In 1878, Abbé Buguet is appointed to La Chapelle-Montligeon. A lot of work awaits him there. He decides to provide work for the inhabitants through his printing workshops. He begins work to have the basilica built to pray for the souls in purgatory. After obtaining his bishop's approval, the Vatican also gives its consent. Pope Leo XIII recognizes the devotion to Notre-Dame de Montligeon for praying for and saving the souls in purgatory. Saint Pius X names him a prelate of the pope. In the last part of his life, Abbé Buguet is animated by a missionary desire and travels beyond Europe to make known and pray for the souls in purgatory.
He dies on June 14, 1918 in Rome. His funeral takes place in Rome and his body is not transferred to the crypt of Montligeon until 1921 after the First World War.
A Place of Pilgrimage for the Deceased
It is in 1887 that the first pilgrimage for the souls in purgatory is initiated. Since then, many people come each year to pray for their deceased family members, particularly at the time of All Saints' Day. Throughout the year, the Montligeon sanctuary organizes sessions and retreats to understand the mystery of death, to be consoled and listened to.
The Montligeon sanctuary also offers the celebration of perpetual masses for the deceased and also for the living. Offering a mass is an invaluable gift, echoing the famous phrase: "if only we knew the weight of a mass"...
Going on pilgrimage to this sanctuary is the assurance of returning renewed and keeping hope and faith in eternal life.
Prayer to Our Lady the Liberator
"Notre-Dame Libératrice
Take pity on all our deceased brothers and sisters,
especially those most in need
of the Lord's mercy.
Intercede for all those who have left us
so that the work of purifying love
may be completed in them.
May our prayer, united with that of the whole Church,
obtain for them the joy surpassing all desire
and bring here below consolation and comfort
to our brothers and sisters who are suffering or distressed.
Mother of the Church, help us, pilgrims on earth,
to live each day more fully
our passage towards resurrection.
Heal us of all wounds of heart and soul.
Make us witnesses of the Invisible,
already straining towards the goods the eye cannot see,
apostles of hope
like the watchers of the dawn.
Refuge of sinners and Queen of all saints,
gather us all one day,
for the eternal Passover,
in the communion of the Father with Jesus, the Son,
in the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Notre-Dame de Montligeon, pray for the souls in purgatory."
Imprimatur by + Bishop J.-C. Boulanger -- May 31, 2007
With Hozana, Pray for the Deceased
With Hozana, you have the possibility to sign up for different prayer communities free of charge to pray for the deceased you know.
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