Sanctuary Notre-Dame de Foy

The statuette and the origin of the sanctuary

In the summer of 1609, a woodcutter cuts down an oak in the forest of Foy, owned by the lord of Vêves. In the trunk of the tree he finds the statue of the Virgin, split into two by the power of chopping. A little girl takes the two pieces with her and glues the figure with a few licks of wax. The lord of the castle then places the statue in his castle. Miracles are established, to the extent that the believers flood in in large numbers. Surprised by the coming and going of these people, the lord of the castle decides to bring the statue back to the place where it was found and to build a small oratory there. The cult grew to such an extent that a large church was built in 1622.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

Cult dissemination

The origin of the success of this story: the epilogue of a Jesuit from Dinant in connection with the discovery of the statue. The Society of Jesus distributed it throughout the world, with a piece of wood from the tree in which the statue of the Virgin was hidden. Since then, there have been numerous small statues carved from these pieces all over the world and in the big cities that bear its name, such as Santa Fe in Uruguay and the city of Sainte-Foy in Quebec.

Confessional

According to tradition, the present confessionals come from the old Jesuit church in Dinant. It had to be dismantled and its contents distributed after the abolition of the Society in 1773. It is a masterpiece of Namur's joinery, characterised by a strong moulding pattern, a very structured cornice and fine decorative motifs applied and not made from the masses. They carry in a medallion the images of the two saints of the Society of Jesus: on the left Saint Ignatius and on the right Saint Francis-Xavier.

Rosary

The main theme of the decoration of the church. It is present three times: on the ceiling, which consists of a central axis, on the side altar on the left and, partially, on the windows of the choir. The secrets form the central axis on the ceiling with, as apothéose, the coronation of the Virgin, painted on a slightly larger panel. The composition of these panels brings the believer step by step to the heart of the sanctuary, to the glory of the Virgin.

On the side altar on the left is a panel representing the granting of the Rosary to the Holy Dominic, as the legend tells us (15 medallions for the 15 secrets). And choir windows represent the sad secrets.

Caisson ceiling

The cassette ceiling is designed to form a cross. The paintings represent scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary but also portraits of the evangelists and the four fathers of the church. And all around the cross are portraits of saints. Some ceiling panels (a total of 145) were donated by passing pilgrims. 

The worship of the shepherds

This object is a work typical of the Counter Reformation, which is at the origin of the history of the statue and its sanctuary. It was painted by a great Liège master, François Walschartz, on order of Prince Bishop Ferdinand de Bavière. The arrangement differs from that of the Flemish Primitives: here Mary is not in admiration for her divine son, but introduces herself to the shepherds. Carrying him on her lap, she associated herself with her son in the face of the visitors. Mother and child are thus the heroes of the scene, who present themselves in the sight of the shepherds, while Saint Joseph mixes with all the admirers.

Sainte Marie / Dames de choeur - campagne 2021

La monumentale église de Foy-Notre-Dame doit sa construction à la découverte en 1609 par un bûcheron d’une statuette de la Vierge Marie au creux d’un arbre. La statue fut vénérée. Suite à des miracles, l’endroit donna lieu à des pèlerinages.

Download the plan of the remarkable elements