OUR LADY OF PONTOISE
December 28th is the feast of Our Lady of Pontoise. Pontoise is an old town in France, built around a bridge across the Oise; and its shrine dates from some time before the 13th Century; though its exact beginnings are lost in legend. The statue of Our lady of Pontoise is of marble, and was, according to the legend, carved by a pious youth in the quarry at Blangis, near Abbeville and brought to Pontoise. In 1226 it was made a parish church, and the statue was placed outside, over the main entrance. It was visited by the saint-king, Louis XI; and did not figure greatly in history until after 1431 when it was destroyed by the English. From this time on, the shrine had a violent history. The English, who were at that time still militantly Catholic determined to rebuild the shrine they had destroyed. It was partly finished when the French reconquered the territory. They finished the rebuilding in 1884. During the years of 1580 and 1650, when the ...