Culture

Culture

Shrine of Notre-Dame du Laus

This place is said to have been the scene of an apparition of the Virgin Mary to Benoîte Rencurel, shepherdess of Saint-Etienne d'Avançon, for 54 years (from 1664 to Benoîte's death in 1718). The process of beatification by the Vatican is underway.

The Hôtellerie Notre-Dame du Laus welcomes you all year round with an exceptional capacity of 250 rooms, a 540-seat restaurant, a bookshop, a relaxation area, a 15-bed gîte, two 25-bed dormitories and a 12-bed campsite.

Discover the birthplace of Benoîte Rencurel
Benoîte Rencurel was a shepherdess to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in 1664 and who claimed to have had numerous miraculous visions over a period of 54 years and to have received orders from the Virgin to build a church in the hamlet of Le Laus. These apparitions were officially recognised by the Church on 4 May 2008 and Benoîte Rencurel was recognised as 'venerable' by Pope Benedict XVI on 3 April 2009.

- Chapel of the Precious Blood:
In July 1673, Benoîte is said to have seen Jesus Christ attached to the Cross. She found herself suddenly stiffened by it, each week in the crucified pose and remained so from Thursday to Saturday, unable to make a gesture. This 'mystical crucifixion' lasted from 1673 to 1684. From 1689 onwards, she suffered nightly abuse and fought the devil spiritually every night until her death. Two native Tourangeaux and renowned botanists, the Tulasne brothers, built a chapel on their own money to protect this cross.

- Pindreau monument:
The monument we see today, by artists from the commune of Vaucouleurs (Meuse) was built in 1926. The monument replaces, since, the modest oratory commemorating the appearance of the Virgin to the shepherdess Benoîte Rencurel between 1664 and 1718.

- Oratory of the pass of the Angel :
The oratory of the pass of the Angel is composed of a niche sheltering the Statue of the Virgin and a column which surmounts this niche whose capital carries an angel with the hands extended towards the walker. For more than 300 years, many pilgrims have been walking along the gullied path leading to the col de l'Ange (30 minutes walk, significant difference in altitude) leading to a magnificent panorama over the Avance Valley.

On request:
- Guided tours of the places marked by the apparitions and the life of Benoîte;
- Pilgrimages to these same places, accompanied by a member of the pastoral team (also, possibility of making spiritual journeys with the help of fixed panels and explanatory leaflets);
- Teachings on various aspects of the message of Laus (see catalogue below);

To recharge your batteries:
- Possibilities of walks and hikes from the sanctuary, particularly on the Way of St James.