An initiative of the Association Mary of Nazareth July 30 – Our Lady Promoter of Peace  (Le Puy, France) – Saint Peter Chrysologus (d. 451) Cannons for Our Lady Promoter of Peace Dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation, the Shrine of the Puy-en-Velay (France) is one of the oldest in Europe. In the 5th century a woman was miraculously cured by the Virgin Mary there. In the 13th century, upon his return from the crusade, King Saint Louis gave a Black Madonna to the shrine and for centuries pilgrims flocked there. But there is another famous image of the Virgin Mary in Le Puy, venerated under the name of Our Lady of France, born from the desire to pay tribute to Mary and to her Immaculate Conception, a dogma proclaimed in 1854. This cast iron statue is sixteen meters high, and dominates the area from the Corneille Rock. To cast the statue, Napoleon III (nephew of Napoleon I and first president of the French Republic) donated 150,000 kilos of cast iron cannons captured from the Russians during the Crimean War at the victory of Sevastopol in 1855. These are the famous guns of victory, “an instrument of war transformed into an instrument of peace,” they say at the diocesan head office. The statue of Our Lady of France was inaugurated in 1860. “Our Lady of France,” says Sister Marie-Aimée from the Community of Saint John, “is the mother who protects. She is there for everyone.” www.pelerin.com Let’s pray together  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen. . Share A Moment with Mary and give your loved ones the opportunity to discover a new aspect of the mystery of the Mother of God each day.