Saint Lazare

1707 – COMING OF FATHER DE MONTFORT to St LAZARE 

Dismissed by Don Leduger in Moncontour, St Louis-Marie took refuge in St Lazare accompanied by Brother Mathurin Rangeard. They are joined on the way by Jean. A native of Montfort, living by his clerical title, Father de Montfort had full latitude to found his first Montfortian community. It is also his first experience of community life. When Father de Montfort arrived in 1707, it had been 18 years since there had been a resident chaplain. He cleans the chapel to make it more suitable for divine worship. He celebrates Mass. 

He brings together his favorite devotions inside: 

A dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, . 

Below, the Name of Jesus. . He installed the statue of Our Lady of Wisdom there, which is now at the birthplace. 

This statue passed through the Montfort hospital when the Sisters of Wisdom came to work there in 1773, at the request of the rector of the parish of Coulon. One of them came to pick up the statue at St Lazare. 

 We also see in the chapel a big big Rosary whose grains are the size of a walnut. 

When the chapel is too small to contain the crowds, St Louis-Marie gathers the faithful in the meadow located near the large oak tree under which he was preaching. 

During his stay in his native region, Father de Montfort evangelized the parishes of Bréteil, Talensac, Landujan, Médréac, Bréal, Romillé, without forgetting of course Montfort-la-Cane….

Before taking the road to Nantes, he entrusted the chapel to a pious Christian aged around 40, Guillemette Rouxel, originally from Talensac. For 20 years, she will faithfully watch over the chapel, living on alms. She was buried nearby, in the cemetery of Coulon.