Appointed bishop of the diocese of Le Puy by Pope Francis on February 16, ordained and installed in the cathedral on March 27, the 107th bishop of Le Puy is preparing to live his first Marian feasts, “with great joy and despite everything a little pressure,” he admits.
These August 15 celebrations bring together many actors, not only from the diocese, but also from the city and the state, around security issues. The bishop thanks them and adds: “I measure the expectation, especially since in recent years the celebrations have not been able to have the desired influence due to the pandemic”.
“The Importance of a Spiritual Life”
Bishop Yves Baumgarten will be alone, according to tradition, to preside over all the celebrations this year as the incoming prelate. According to him, they will mark the launch of his episcopate which he wishes to place under the protection of the Virgin Mary.
He chose the theme which is called to punctuate the days of August 14 and 15: “With Mary, let us entrust the world to Jesus, Prince of Peace”.
A theme of course linked to the war in Ukraine. “Peace in its human but also spiritual dimension”, specifies Mgr Baumgarten and this one to invite the Christians, but also all the men of good will “to have confidence”. Bishop Yves Baumgarten observes: “Everyone invokes peace, we see it in Ukraine, but without succeeding. Hence the importance of a spiritual life, not necessarily a religious one. We do not decide everything politically, socially, economically. There is something else that can help us in the most difficult times. Each of us must reflect on the meaning of life, the fragility of our existence”.
The procession is a particular manifestation of faith that can be questionable when you are not used to the habits and customs in Haute-Loire. The bishop was a stranger to it so far, including in Lyon where he previously ministered: “I was on July 24 at the Saint-Robert celebrations in La Chaise-Dieu, where there was also a procession. This is part of the DNA of the diocese”. Bishop Yves Baumgarten concludes: “A procession is a people on the move, a people on the move”.
As in past years, the Hospitality of Le Puy will be present to help sick and disabled people to take part in the celebrations (contact: 06.12.46.10.39 or 06.26.97.78.14).
The program
Sunday August 14
5:30 p.m.: Vespers prayer
6:15 p.m.: Mass the night before
8:45 p.m.: Gathering at Place du Martouret
9 p.m.: Departure of the torchlight procession from Place du Martouret.
9:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Prayer vigil in the Cathedral. Time of adoration and confessions in the cloister.
Monday August 15: Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
7 and 8 a.m.: Masses
10 a.m.: Solemn Mass presided over by Mgr Yves Baumgarten.
12 p.m.: Mass
3 p.m.: Gathering at the intersection of Avenue de la Cathédrale and Boulevard Carnot
3:30 p.m.: Marian Procession
6 p.m.: Mass
9 p.m.: Salve Regina show with the Sacred Music Center (also on Saturday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.).
August 15 as well. Pradelles also celebrates August 15. This year the Assumption will be celebrated under the patronage of Sainte Marie Rivier. Founder of the teaching congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, she was canonized in Rome on May 15, along with Charles de Foucauld
The procession to express one’s faith
and his faith in prayer
Starting point of a pilgrimage route to Compostela, Le Puy-en-Velay has been, since the 15th century, one of the liveliest Marian sanctuaries in Europe.
The August 15 procession, an unmissable event in Le Puy.
Usually, the cathedral welcomes more than 600,000 visitors each year, including 15,000 pilgrims. On August 15, the Catholic Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin. Each year, an estimated 3,000 people walk the streets of the city towards the cathedral.
August 15 is an essential day for believers, revealing to them the divine destination of all existence, its promise of glorification: “Every Christian, in the image of Mary, will know his assumption, when our whole being, body and soul, will be assumed in God “.
In 1637, King Louis XIII despaired of having no children, which also posed a serious political problem. He decided on the one hand to dedicate his kingdom to the Virgin Mary and on the other hand, that there would be a procession in each parish of his Kingdom on August 15 to ask for the grace of having an heir. In 1638, Louis Dieudonné was born, better known to us as Louis XIV. The procession of August 15 therefore has its origin in this wish of Louis XIII.
Today, if Catholics pray with the Virgin Mary in procession through the streets of Le Puy, it is because they believe that she is our Mother and that she shows the way to Christ. The procession is quite simply a way of expressing one’s faith and trust in Mary’s prayer, of praying for the city and for our country. Finally, she invites each of us to participate in what is, for Catholics, a moment of joy, much better than an organized prayer in a closed place can do. not
Philippe Suc
Assumption – The celebrations of August 15 in Le Puy placed under the sign of peace