19th May - OUR MOTHER OF FLINES (DOUAY)

 Margaret of Constantinople, was a relative of the Count Guy de Dampier. St. Bernard had established an order of nuns in the year 1234. Margaret presented St. Bernard with the 

    Abbey near Douay. Archbishop Peter of Rheims had dedicated the shrine to Our Mother of Flines. This shrine became a place of pilgrimage as a result of the miraculous cures. 

    The little one had been seriously injured while playing about the stable-yard. The doctors pronounced her hopelessly lame for life. Margaret, however, 

    was confident in Our Mother’s intercession, and took the child to the neighbouring shrine every Saturday and begged the Mother of God to be merciful to the child 

    as well as to the grieving parents. After the fifteenth visit, the little girl, with a happy cry, jumped from the arms of her mother. Our Mother indeed cured her in that instant. 

    The renown of the shrine continued to spread over time, and many pilgrimages to Our Mother of Flines was the result. 

    In the words of her loyal son St. Bernard, “Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, 

    or sought your intercession was left unaided” was always true.




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