Boulogne-sur-Mer
The Virgin or Our Lady of Boulogne, the Nautical Virgin,
Our Lady of the Great Return, Our Lady of the Sacred Blood
In the Basilica of the Immaculate conception, better known as the cathedral Notre-Dame-de-Boulogne, 2 Parvis Notre Dame, 62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer, department Pas-de-Calais, original from 633, second incarnation created in 1360, a third in 1803, a fourth in 1840, and a fifth in 1874-5, plus various copies over the centuries to be carried in processions.
Photos:
1. The most accurate copy of the original 633 A.D. Madonna seated in her boat, sculpted in painted wood. Notice that the angels were cut of at the hips. Nowadays, she is in the crypt, but for centuries she was in the Chapel of the Holy Blood (Chapelle-saint-sang), located at 51 Av. John Kennedy, 62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer (open only on the first Saturday of each month). Hence her title Our Lady of the Holy Blood. She is an oak bas-relief from the beginning of the 17th century.
2. A copy from the high Middle Ages is in ancient city gate called Dunes Gate (Porte des Dunes) on the Pas-de-Calais.
3. The 1803 decidedly Black Virgin by Audomarois Gras, created after her previous incarnation was burnt at the stake during the revolution. Not an exact copy but “inspired by the memories of her devotees”, about 120 cm high. She used to hold a scepter in her right hand and have 2 angels in the boat with her, but they were stolen.
4. The Black Madonna in Cathedral, oak, begun by Louis Duthoit (died 1874) and completed in 1875 by Eugène Delaplanche. photo
5. Portrait of the 1820 C.E. statue carried nowadays in processions in Boulogne-sur-mer.
6. White copy of the Black Madonna, known as Our Lady of the Grand Return (Notre-Dame-du-grand-retour) carried all over France during World War II.
Her titles:
She is called the Nautical Virgin because she arrived from the sea, like all that is of foremost importance to the city. Boulogne-sur-Mer has been France’s largest fishing port since the Romans occupied it around 39 C.E.! So yes, the city and its heavenly protectress are all about the sea.
She is also knows as Our Lady of the Great Return, because three times the enemies of Catholicism and France tried to stamp out any memory of this Black Madonna, but she was always brought back by her faithful children, as you will see below.
The truest copy of the original, the version of Our Lady that was for centuries venerated in the chapel of the Holy Blood/Chapelle-saint-sang, is called Our Lady of the Sacred Blood. The relic of some drops of blood of the Savior that gave this church its name is now on display in the crypt of the cathedral Notre-Dame de Boulogne.
Tradition has it that during the revolution, Our Lady of the Sacred Blood was kidnapped and paraded in outrageous fashion through the streets of Boulogne, then thrown into the sea. She went up the course of the Liane river and ran aground on the shore near its chapel. There she was found by a pious worker from Ostrohove named Claude Fauquembergue - known as "Marant" - who took her to safety. She was returned to the parish of Saint-François de Sales in 1858.
Her Miracles:
Medieval chroniclers wrote about the many miracles of Our Lady of Boulogne. A chronicle of the life of the holy King of France, Saint Louis IX, includes several references to the miraculous cures obtained through the intercession of Our Lady of Boulogne. She was especially powerful towards sailors and expectant mothers.
Her feasts
There is mention of a February 20th and an October 22nd feast day, but the biggest festival in honor of the Nautical Virgin takes place in August.
According to Wikipedia, her processions happen on the 2nd Sunday after the great feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven, which is celebrated on August 15th. At that time, one expected the return of the “Newfoundlanders”, that is French fishermen who, from the 16th to the 20th centuries would sail almost all the way to Canada to fish for cod. At the end of their great fishing season, they would return and bow before their Black Madonna to thank her for watching over them. It is a 5 days long celebration of Our Lady’s care for her children.