* August 17 – Our Lady of Town Squares (Crozant, France, 1664)   * Every evening, the army sang hymns by torchlight  --- An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association  August 17 – Our Lady of Town Squares (Crozant, France, 1664)   Every evening, the army sang hymns by torchlight  Wikipedia photo Statue above the East transept altar of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in its eponymous Basilica. At the beginning of the reign of Louis XIII (King of France, 1601-1643), Protestantism was a threat to the Kingdom, since the wars of religion and the Edict of Nantes had made the Protestant power a state within a state. The king sought to destroy the port of La Rochelle (on the Atlantic coast of France) that had become a Protestant stronghold backed by England. To overcome the resistance of La Rochelle, on the king’s request, the Rosary was recited before the whole Court by Dominican monks from the convent on Faubourg Saint Honoré in Paris. After this, the king asked the Dominicans to teach the army how to pray the Rosary and had 15,000 rosaries distributed to the soldiers. Each night, the Protestants could hear the troops singing the Ave Maria and other hymns by torchlight, carrying a statue of Our Lady around the city, which was regained on November 1, 1628. In thanksgiving, Louis XIII built Our Lady of Victories Church in Paris and consecrated the Kingdom of France to Our Lady on February 10, 1638. The Mary of Nazareth Team Source: www.fatima100.fr Litany of the Virgin Mary or Litany of Loreto 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.