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for sinners and prayed while they made their confes- but, taking refuge in prayer, she did not give in. One
sions. To atone for their sins and to obtain graces for day the infernal spirit revealed the motive behind his
them, she gave herself over to severe penances, to the attacks: “She is the reason I am losing so many souls,”
point of jeopardizing her health. he exclaimed. At the end of July 1692, Benoîte and the
A way to new life priests of Laus were forced to take refuge in Marseilles
to flee the invasion of the Duke of Savoy’s troops who
However, not everyone looked favorably upon the were laying waste to the region of Gap. The civil peace
events at Laus. Some people went so far as to attrib- was finally restored, but Benoîte continued to endure
ute the apparitions to the devil. Therefore, a new dio- purifying trials. In fact, Father Javelly’s successor, an
cesan investigation became necessary. This investiga- opponent of the Laus pilgrimage, named two new per-
tion convinced the new vicar-general, Jean Javelly, of sons to be in charge of the sanctuary. These priests
the truth of the apparitions. To those who complained had little zeal for the care of souls and had published
that everyone was going to Laus, he replied, “Benoîte from the pulpit that Laus was a hoax. In 1700, the shep-
isn’t the one who is causing the loss of devotion (that herdess was forbidden from speaking to pilgrims, and
is, religious practice) in our Church; it’s our sins which threats hung over her reputation. However, Benoîte
are the cause of it. With the little zeal and care that we was not without consolations—she often received vis-
have to maintain it, devotion has gone to the far reach- its from the Blessed Virgin and from her Guardian An-
es of the diocese. Rather than having it withdrawn, or gel, who both comforted her. Finally, in 1711, the pil-
doing anything to harm this good and holy woman grimage was entrusted to a new community, that of the
whose virtue I am acquainted with, we must take care ‘Pères Gardistes’. These priests showed themselves to
that devotion does not leave [the diocese of Embrun], be men of prayer who instilled in the pilgrims to Laus
and work together with her to keep it there, for fear devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and recourse to
of losing it altogether.” In her prayer as in her apos- Mary, Refuge of Sinners.
tolate, Benoîte was constantly advised by Our Lady: After twenty years of ordeals, Benoîte could once
“Take heart, my daughter! Have patience... Do your more carry out her mission in peace. A throng of pil-
duties gladly... Bear no hatred towards the enemies grims came to her. But so many mortifications and
of Laus.” Her Guardian Angel instructed her as well: hardships had gotten the better of her health. Bedrid-
“When a person is joyful, everything he does is pleas- den for over a month, she received Holy Viaticum on
ing to God. When a person becomes angry, he does Christmas Day, 1718. Three days later, she confessed
nothing that pleases Him.” and received Extreme Unction, with great consola-
Between 1669 and 1679, Benoîte was favored with tion. Around 8 o’clock that night, Benoîte bid farewell
five apparitions of Christ Who revealed Himself to her to those surrounding her, then, having kissed a cruci-
in a state of suffering. One Friday in July 1673, the fix, her eyes raised to Heaven, she died in peace and
bloodstained Savior said to her: “My child, I am mak- went to join her Spouse, Jesus and Her Most Holy
ing myself appear in this state so that you might par- Mother Mary in Heaven. The cause of beatification
ticipate in the sufferings of My Passion.” Indeed, the for the Servant of God, Benoîte Rencurel, introduced
Lord Jesus wished to unite to His redeeming sacrifice in 1871, was recently taken up again by the diocese
those very people who are its first beneficiaries (cf. of Gap. After being administered successively by the
CCC 618). Saint Peter warned us: Christ suffered for Pères Gardistes, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and
you in just this way and left you an example, to have the Missionaries of Our Lady of Laus, the sanctuary
you follow in His footsteps (I Peter 2:21). It was our is today entrusted to the diocesan clergy, with help
sins that made Our Lord submit to the agony of the from a community of the Brothers of Saint John. The
Cross. “Those who plunge themselves into disorders sanctuary of Laus is a spiritual center that, faithful to its
and crimes crucify the Son of God anew in their hearts mission, welcomes pilgrims who have come to place
(for He is in them) and hold Him up to contempt” (Heb. themselves under Mary’s maternal protection and re-
6:6) (CCC 598). But by His death, Christ frees us from ceive the sacrament of forgiveness.
sin, and by His Resurrection, He gives us a way to new Let us ask the Mother of Mercy to renew among
life. The sacrament of Penance reconciles the sinner Christians respect for and the desire to go to this sacra-
with God and gives him part in the Risen Life of Christ. ment, which is a privileged means, instituted by the Sav-
“She is the reason I am losing so many souls!” ior Himself, to receive God’s grace and peace of soul.

In 1684, the Laus pilgrimage was growing rapid- Dom Antoine Marie, O.S.B.
ly. Troops stationed in Gap went to Laus en masse. This article is reprinted with permission from the
The soldiers, overcome by grace, confessed, changed Abbey of Clairval, France, which every month publish-
their lives and became messengers of Laus throughout es a spiritual newsletter on the life of a saint, in English,
France and even abroad. However, this time of success French, Italian, or Dutch. Their postal address: Dom
was followed by a period of trials and obscurity. Be- Antoine Marie, Abbe, Abbaye Saint-Joseph de Clair-
noîte suffered strong temptations against trust in God val 21150 Flavigny sur Ozerain, France. Their website:
and chastity. The demon even attacked her physically http:// www.clairval.com. v

www.michaeljournal.org MICHAEL May/June/July 2019 27