Sanctuaire Saint-Joseph du Bessillon

Cotignac

On 7 June 1660, the young shepherd Gaspard Ricard, parched with thirst on the slope of the Bessillon, is said to have met an old man who asked him to lift a large stone; beneath it a spring gushed forth, and the old man revealed himself to be Saint Joseph. When the villagers came to check, eight men together were unable to move the stone, which was taken as confirmation of the miraculous nature of the event. A chapel was built at once, consecrated as a church in 1663, and as early as 1661 Louis XIV instituted a public holiday on 19 March throughout the kingdom. According to Wikipedia, it is one of the four apparitions of Saint Joseph officially recognised by the Catholic Church anywhere in the world; the sanctuary, revived in 1975 by Benedictine nuns, is distinct from the neighbouring sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-Grâces.

Getting there : Active sanctuary, about 3 km from Notre-Dame-de-Grâces, free access

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound