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 PILGRIMAGES

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PILGRIMAGES

numbers because of the extraordinary miracles worked by the holy martjT (Wall, 216-23; Mackinlay, "St. Edmund King and Martyr", London, 1893; Snead- Cox, "Life of Cardinal Vaughan", London, 1910, II, 2S7-94).

Einsiedeln, Schwj-z, Switzerland, has been a place of pilgrimage since Leo VIII in 954. The reason of this devotion is a miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin brought by St. Meinrad from Zurich. The saint was murdered in 86 1 by robbers who coveted the rich offerings which already at that early date were left by the pilgrims. The principal days for \'isiting the shrine are 14 Sept. and 13 Oct.; it is calculated that the yearly number of pilgrims exceeds 1.50,000. Even Protestants from the surrounding cantons are known to have joined the throng of worshippers (Xorthcote, "Sanctuaries", 122-32).

Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, was the centre of a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Etheldreda. One of her hands is still presented in a shrine in the (pre- Reformation) Catholic church dedicated to her in London (Wall, 55-6).

Ephesus, Asia Minor, is the centre of two devotions, one to the mj-thical Seven Sleepers, the other to the Mother of God, who lived here some years under the care of St. John. Here also it was that the Di\-ine maternit}' of Our Lady was proclaimed, by the Third Ecumenical Council, A. D. 491 ("Pelerinages aux sanct. de la mere deDieu", Paris, 1840, 119-32; Cham- pagnac, I, 608-19).

Evreux, Eure, France, has a splendid cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, but the pilgrimage to it dates only from modern times (Champagnac, I, 641).

Faviers, Seine-ct-Oise, France, is the centre of a pilgrimage to the church of St. Sulpice, where there are reUcs of the saint. St. Louis IX paid his homage at the shrine; and even now, from each parish of St. Sulpice (a common dedication among French churches) deputies come here annually on pilgrimage for the three Sundays following the feast which occurs on 27 August (Champagnac, I, 646-7).

Garaison, Tarbes, France, was the scene of an ap- parition of Our Lady to a shepherdess of twelve years old, Aglese de Sagasan, early in the sixteenth centurj'. The sanctuary was dedicated afresh after the Revolu- tion and is once more thronged with pilgrims. The chief festival is celebrated on 8 September (Cham- pagnac, I, 95-9).

Genezzano, Italy, contains the miraculous picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel which is said to have been translated from Albania. It has, since its arrival 25 April, 1467, been visited by popes, cardinals, kings, and by countless throngs of pilgrims; and devotion to the shrine steadily increases (Xorthcote, "Sanctua- ries", 15-24).

Glastonbury, Somerset, England, has been a holy place for many centuries and round it cluster legends and memories, such as no other shrine in England can boast. The Apostles, St. Joseph of Arimathea, Sts. Patrick and Da\-id, and King Arthur begin the aston- ishing cycle which is continued by names Uke St. Dunstan, etc. The curious thorn which blossomed twice yearly, in May and at Christmastide, also proved an attraction for pilgrims, though the storj- of its miraculous origin does not seem to go back much before the sixteenth centurj-. A proof of the devotion which the abbey inspired is seen in the "Pilgrim's Inn," a building of late fifteenth centurj* work in the Perpendicular style yet standing in the town (Marson, " Glastonbun.-. The English Jerusalem", Bath, 1909).

Grace, Lot-et-Garonne, France, used to be the seat of an ancient statue of the Blessed Virgin which en- tered the town in a miraculous fashion. It was en- shrined in a httle chapel perched on the bridge that spans the river Lot. Hence its old name, XostroDamo del cap del Fount. Even now some pilgrimages are made to the restored shrine (Champagnac, I, 702-5).

Grottaf errata, Campagna, Italy, a famous monas- tery of the Greek Rite, takes its name (tracUtionally) from a picture of the Madonna found, protected by a grille, in a grotto. It is still venerated in the abbey church and is the centre of a local pilgrimage (Cham- pagnac, I, 714-15).

Guadalupe, Estradamura, Spain, is celebrated for its wonder-working statue of the Blessed ^'irgin. But it has been outshone by another shrine of the same name in Mexico, which has considerably gained in importance as the centre of pilgrimage. As a sanc- tuary the latter takes the place of one dedicated to an old pagan goddess who was there worshipped. The

GoA — Shrine of St. Fb.\nci8 Xavier Church of the Bom Jesus

storj' of the origin of this shrine (see Guadalcpe, Shrine of) is astonishing.

Hal, Belgium, contains a wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin which is decorated with a golden crown. It has been described by Justus Lipsius in his "Diva Virgo Hallensis" ("Omnia Opera", Antwerp, 1637, III, 687-719) ; as a place of pilgrimage, it has been fa- mous in all Europe and has recei\-ed gifts from many noble pilgrims. The monstrance given by Henry VIII wiis lent for use during the Eucharistic Congress in London in 1909. The miracles recorded are certainly wonderful.

Holyu-ell, Xorth Wales, still draws large bodies of pilgrims by its wonderful cures. It has done so con- tinuously for over a thousand years, remaining the one active example of what were once verj- common (Holy Wells. Chalmers, "Book of Days", II, 6-8). The well is dedicated to St. Winefride and is said to mark the spot of her martvrdom in 634 (Maher, "Holy- well in 1894" in "the Month", February, 1895, 153).

lona, Scotland, though not properly, until recently, a place of pilgrimage, can hardly be omitted with propriety from this hst. The mention of it is sufficient to recall memories of its crowded tombs of kings, chieftains, prelates, which witness to the honour in which is was held as the Holv Island (Trenholme, "Stop,' of lona", Edinburgh, 1909).

Jerusalem, Palestiue, was in manj' ways the origin