The day when the sky opened

In Pontmain, on the 17th January 1871 it was dark and cold and France was at war. Paris was besieged. The conquering Prussian army was at the gates of Laval. The inhabitants of Pontmain were in anguish for they had no news of their 38 young men who had gone to fight in the war. That evening, Eugène Barbedette was helping his father to crush gorse in the barn. His young brother Joseph was there too. Eugène went out “to see the weather”.

A beautiful lady
It was then that he saw above the house opposite a beautiful lady wearing a star-spangled dress. She was looking at him and smiling with her arms stretched out in front of her. The villagers ran towards the barn. Other children saw the vision too. A blue oval with four candles surrounded the beautiful Lady. The priest and the nuns from the school organised an evening of prayer.
“Pray, my children”.
They said the rosary, then the Magnificat, when a banner unfolded between the oval and the roof of the house. Letter by letter, a message was written and read out by the children, while the crowd sang the litanies of the Virgin Mary, the Inviolata and the Salve Regina.

OH ! DO PRAY MY CHILDREN, GOD WILL ANSWER YOU VERY SOON. MY SON LETS HIS HEART BE TOUCHED

The fervour grew and the children showed their joy : “Oh ! How beautiful she is !” They sang ‘Mother of Hope’.
Suddenly the children became sad, seeing that the Virgin Mary’s face was marked by a look of deep distress.

Mary shows Jesus
A red cross appeared before her upon which Jesus could be seen, covered in blood. At the top of the cross, on a white crosspiece, was written in red the name of Jesus Christ. Mary seized the crucifix in both hands and showed it to the children while a small star lit the four candles in the oval. Everyone prayed in silence. They sang Ave Maris Stella. The red crucifix disappeared. Mary took up her original stance, her hands stretched out in a welcoming gesture. A small white cross appeared on each shoulder. Everyone knelt down in the snow for the evening prayer. Soon a white veil covered her from foot to head. “It’s finished”, said the children. They all went home, feeling calmed. Eleven days later the armistice was signed. The Prussians never entered Laval.

The pilgrims flocked in
All kinds of graces were obtained. After research and a canonical investigation, the Bishop of Laval, Mgr Wicart, gave his decision, “We judge that the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, truly appeared on the 17th of January 1871, to Eugène and Joseph Barbedette, Françoise Richer and Jeanne-Marie Lebossé in the hamlet of Pontmain.”