On the night of February 14, 1876, a gravely ill servant woman named Estelle Faguette lay dying in a small room in the village of Pellevoisin. Tuberculosis had destroyed her lungs; peritonitis and a tumor left her doctors without hope. She had written to Pope Pius IX asking for prayers, and the Holy Father had sent his blessing. Now, in her extremity, she began to see visions that would transform this obscure Berry village into a pilgrimage destination.
Over the course of fifteen apparitions between February and December 1876, the Virgin Mary appeared to Estelle, identifying herself as the "Mother of Mercy" and the "All-Merciful Mother." On the fifth apparition, Estelle was miraculously healed. In later visits, Mary revealed a scapular badge and spoke of the need for prayer, conversion, and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Though the Church has never formally approved the supernatural character of these apparitions, it has permitted public devotion and approved the White Scapular of the Sacred Heart that emerged from them. For pilgrims seeking a quiet encounter with Marian devotion in the heart of rural France, Pellevoisin offers an intimacy impossible at larger shrines.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
Estelle Faguette was born in 1843 in Saint-Mexme-le-Desert and entered domestic service as a young woman. By her early thirties, she had developed the multiple serious illnesses that brought her to death's door. Her employers, the Comte and Comtesse de la Rochefoucauld, provided for her care in a room in the village of Pellevoisin, where the family owned property.
The apparitions began on the night of February 14, 1876. The Virgin appeared to Estelle surrounded by light, expressing sorrow over the sins of the world and promising mercy to those who would turn to her. Over the following nights, Mary returned, speaking of the need for prayer and conversion. On February 19, during the fifth apparition, Estelle was suddenly and completely healed of all her illnesses.
The visions continued through 1876, with the Virgin revealing a scapular showing the Sacred Heart of Jesus and instructing Estelle to spread devotion to it. The apparitions ceased after December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, having totaled fifteen appearances. Estelle lived for another fifty-three years, dying in 1929 at the age of eighty-five, having spent her final decades in the service of pilgrims who came to hear her testimony.
The local bishop, Monseigneur de la Tour d'Auvergne of Bourges, investigated the events and in 1877 submitted a report to Rome. While the Church has not pronounced definitively on the supernatural origin of the apparitions, successive bishops have permitted and encouraged devotion. In 1894, Pope Leo XIII approved the White Scapular of the Sacred Heart of Jesus revealed at Pellevoisin. The sanctuary was raised to the rank of national pilgrimage site in France.
The Dominican Sisters of Pellevoisin, founded to serve the sanctuary, maintain the sites associated with the apparitions and welcome pilgrims throughout the year. The village itself remains a quiet agricultural community, its unhurried atmosphere preserving something of the France Estelle knew.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Pellevoisin
Chambre des Apparitions
Room of the Apparitions
The small room where Estelle Faguette lay dying and received the fifteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary has been preserved as a chapel and place of veneration. Pilgrims can enter the intimate space, see the bed where Estelle received her visions, and pray in the atmosphere where the Mother of Mercy appeared. The room is located in a building adjacent to the parish church, maintained by the Dominican Sisters.
The simplicity of the space—a small bedroom rather than a grotto or grand basilica—characterizes Pellevoisin's particular grace. Here pilgrims encounter Marian devotion at its most intimate, in a setting that recalls the domestic circumstances of the Annunciation and the hidden life at Nazareth.
Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul
Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul
The village parish church, dating to the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, serves as the center of liturgical life for the pilgrimage. The church has been modified to accommodate pilgrims while preserving its essential medieval character. Masses are celebrated here for pilgrims, and the church contains ex-votos and memorials related to the apparitions.
A chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pellevoisin contains a statue of the Virgin as she appeared to Estelle, dressed in white with a yellow rose at her feet. The church's modest scale and village setting reinforce the intimate character of devotion at Pellevoisin.
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Pellevoisin
Chapel of Our Lady of Pellevoisin
A chapel built specifically for pilgrims provides additional space for prayer and Mass when the parish church cannot accommodate the numbers. The chapel, near the apparition room, is the site of many pilgrimage liturgies and devotions.
Maison d'Estelle
Estelle's House
The house where Estelle Faguette spent her final decades, receiving pilgrims and testifying to her experiences, is preserved as a place of memory. Pilgrims can learn about Estelle's life after the apparitions and her role as a witness to Our Lady's mercy.
Cimetiere de Pellevoisin
Cemetery
Estelle Faguette is buried in the village cemetery, where pilgrims can visit her grave and pray for her intercession. Though not beatified, Estelle is venerated locally as a model of faith and suffering transformed by grace.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Anniversary of the Healing — February 19
The principal celebration commemorating Estelle's miraculous cure during the fifth apparition. Special Masses and devotions mark the day when the Mother of Mercy restored her servant to health.
September Pilgrimage (First Weekend of September)
The largest annual gathering of pilgrims, with Masses, processions, and veneration at the apparition sites. The Bishop of Bourges or his delegate typically presides.
Feast of Our Lady of Mercy — September 24
The patronal feast of the sanctuary, celebrating Mary under the title revealed to Estelle. Solemn liturgies and the blessing of scapulars mark the day.
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
As the apparitions emphasized devotion to the Sacred Heart, this moveable feast (the Friday after Corpus Christi) is celebrated with particular solemnity at Pellevoisin.
🛏️ Where to Stay
Maison d'Accueil Notre-Dame (pilgrim accommodation) — The sanctuary guesthouse, operated by the Dominican Sisters, offers simple rooms for pilgrims seeking to stay close to the apparition sites. Meals available. Contact the sanctuary for reservations. Website
Hotel Le Relais (nearby) — Small hotel in the region offering comfortable accommodation for pilgrims with cars. Regional cuisine served.
Chambres d'Hotes in Berry (B&B) — Several bed and breakfast establishments in the surrounding countryside welcome pilgrims. Contact the tourism office for listings.
🚗 Getting There
By Air: The nearest international airport is Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), approximately 280 km north. Regional airports at Tours (100 km) and Limoges (130 km) have limited connections. Car rental is recommended.
By Train: The nearest train station is Chateauroux (30 km), with connections from Paris Austerlitz and other major cities. From Chateauroux, reach Pellevoisin by taxi or rental car; public transport is very limited.
By Car: From Paris, take the A20 motorway south toward Limoges, exiting at Chateauroux and following local roads to Pellevoisin (approximately 3 hours). From Tours, take the D943 south (approximately 1 hour 30 minutes). The rural setting makes a car essential for most visitors.
📚 Further Reading
Dom Bernard Marechaux. Notre-Dame de Pellevoisin — Historical account of the apparitions and their aftermath (in French).
Ann Ball. Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices — Reference work including entry on the White Scapular of the Sacred Heart.
Online Resources:
Sanctuary of Pellevoisin — Official sanctuary website with pilgrimage information and spiritual resources.
The Message of Pellevoisin — Summary of the apparitions and their content.
🎥 Recommended Videos
Our Lady of Pellevoisin — Documentary on the apparitions and sanctuary.
The White Scapular of the Sacred Heart — Catechetical video on the devotion revealed at Pellevoisin.
🔗 Useful Links
Sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Pellevoisin — Official sanctuary with pilgrimage schedules and lodging.
Archdiocese of Bourges — Archdiocesan information for the region.
Berry Tourism — Regional visitor information.
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Paray-le-Monial (180 km east) — Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart, where Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and revealed devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Nevers (120 km east) — The incorrupt body of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes rests in the chapel of the Sisters of Charity.
Tours (100 km northwest) — The tomb of Saint Martin of Tours, one of France's most important medieval pilgrimage sites.
Chartres (160 km north) — The great Marian cathedral with its labyrinth and medieval stained glass.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"I am the All-Merciful Mother of a God who is all mercy. The heart of my Son is so full of love for my heart that He cannot refuse any request I make." — Our Lady to Estelle Faguette, Pellevoisin, 1876
