On the edge of the old towpath...
You walk quietly on this peaceful path... you know perfectly well that you are in Maine-et-Loire... you go peacefully towards the lock and the mill, and then suddenly, here you are in Lourdes !
In 1898
That day, some young girls from the Montreuil sur Maine choir were walking along the river. And then, was it a particular disposition of the light that day, or a divine illumination, always it is that they suddenly rediscover the beauty of the place.
At that time, pilgrimages to Lourdes were multiplying, the first one in Anjou having taken place in 1872.
And our young girls imagined reconstituting the grotto of Lourdes itself in this place, which lent itself very well to it.
And six months later, it was done! The blessing of the grotto took place in February 1899.
The Association of Friends of the Grotto
Unfortunately, time gradually took its toll, and there was even a major landslide. The Association of Friends of the Grotto of Montreuil sur Maine was formed after this event, and has undertaken repair work and continues to ensure its proper maintenance.
This allows the continuation of visits and celebrations, including, of course, the 15th of August, the feast of the Virgin Mary.
Montreuil-sur-Maine Town Hall
23, rue du Val-de-Maine
49220 Montreuil-sur-Maine
Tel : 02 41 95 32 03
https://www.montreuilsurmaine.fr/
Association of the Friends of the Grotto
Tel : 02 41 95 85 50 (or 69 52
association-amis-grotte@outlook.fr
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
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