(Photo credit: LaPorteLatine)
The SSPX French District invited the faithful on a pilgrimage to Le Puy where a special plenary indulgence is granted when Good Friday falls on March 25 (see our article). It required a year of preparation for the priory of St. Francois Regis to organize this pilgrimage. Because of the reduced access and limited space within the basilica, every pilgrim had to register for one of seven different schedules in order to venerate the black statue of Our Lady brought by St. Louis from the Crusades.
On Saturday, April 9, 2016 Fr. Christian Bouchacourt, District Superior of France, invited all the faithful to offer the pilgrimage for France, recalling how many saints were connected with Le Puy (St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, St. Francois Regis, etc.) and requested that the daily prayer of the Angelus be offered for the conversion of Muslims.
On Sunday, April 10, Bishop Bernard Fellay celebrated Mass at the end of the pilgrimage in Le Puy in front of 4,000 SSPX pilgrims.
It is from Le Puy that Urban II on the Feast of the Assumption of 1095 launched the first Crusade (1095-1098) delegating the bishop (Adhemar de Monteil) of the city to lead it. The bishop left the city with 400 knights and died during the siege of Antioch. Pope Urban II had also commanded that from the day of the crusade's departure, and to support it, the Angelus be prayed morning and evening at the ringing of the bells by all of Christianity.