Magnificat Vol. LVI, No 5 137 His tireless activity did not divert him from the “only necessary thing”: the salvation of the souls entrusted to his care. To lead his flock back to God – even in this remote hamlet, the revolutionary spirit had taken its toll – he decided to “get the Mother of God interested.” Barely twomonths after his arrival, he affiliated his parish to the archconfraternity of Our Lady of Victories. With his meager resources, he bought a little statue of Mary for each family and came in person to enthrone Her, thus earning the nickname of “Priest of theGood BlessedVirgins.” From then on, all the families prayed the rosary every day. He organized public recitation of the daily rosary, the pious practices of the Month of Mary, litanies and processions. In spite of a not overly bright financial situation, he undertook the erection of a chapel worthy of his “GoodMother,” which, God helping, was solemnly inaugurated on October 31, 1850. As in Saint-Ellier, he instilled in his flock devotion to the Passion of the Saviour, placing the Holy Crucifix in honor in every home in the village, strongly encouraging the practice of the Way of the Cross and having several roadside crosses erected. A great devotee of the Eucharist, he advocated frequent communion and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. God greatly rewarded the efforts of His servant. Little by little, Pontmain was transformed. By the time of the Franco-Prussian War, the village had become a model Christian community whose prayer rose constantly up to Heaven. After the event of January 17, 1871, the inhabitants attributed the main credit to their holy pastor. Later on, Father Joseph Barbedette would say: “A venerable and holy priest, model of all virtues, remarkable especially by his tender piety towards the Blessed Virgin, it has often been rightly said that he had earned for Pontmain the honor of being the scene of Mary’s maternal tenderness.” Less than a year after theApparition, on January 13, 1872, good Father Guérin was the victim of a vehicle accident. Seriously injured, he died on May 29, 1872, at the age of 70. APPARITION OF MARY TO BROTHER FIACRE The first glories of the shrine of Our Lady of Victories came to it through the apparitions of Mary to Brother Fiacre (1637). The Virgin showed Herself at night, dressed in a long starspangled robe. In remembrance of this, and driven by his love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary (whose Archconfraternity was established in the church of Notre-Dame des Victoires by Father Charles des Genettes), Father Guérin had the vault of his restored church decorated with similar stars. Now, the apparition of Pontmain, occurring at night like that of 1637, in which the Virgin also wore a star-spangled robe, occurred at the very moment when, before an immense crowd, Father Amodru, the assistant pastor of Notre-Dame des Victoires in Paris, made a vow to the Blessed Virgin asking for the end of the war.
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