Every year, on the 8th of September, several thousand people get together in Josselin for the big religious festival of Notre Dame du Roncier. Will you be coming as well?

In 2011, the 7th is a Wednesday

and the  8th of September is a Wednesday : NOTRE - DAME DU RONCIER :

In 2010,  bishop Mgr Jean-Marie Le Vert from Quimper

and Mgr Raymond Centène, from Vannes.

- The 7th at 8:30 PM : evening gathering ( songs, theatrer, prayers by the young people ) then  torchlight procession organised and  mass in the basilica .

- The 8th september, at 10:30 : procession starting from the church,

  at 11 AM mass in the open air, on St Martin square 

at 3:00 PM, rosary, vespers and procession (touring the decorated city)

   

A bit of history : Historically, three children from the town of Camors were healed. Pierre Le Pallec (8 years old), and his two sisters, Louise and Michelle (12 and 6 years old) were afflicted with a strange illness. "They fell to the ground as if they had fainted, with their mouths open and barking loudly like dogs." Modern science would call it a form of epilepsy.
They were taken by their father to the statue of the Virgin du Roncier in Josselin, on the 25th of May 1728 and they were suddenly cured. This is written in an official record, carefully preserved in the Parish archives and signed by the local dignities.
Since this date, a big religious festival in honour of Notre Dame du Roncier has been celebrated in Josselin. Until the end of the 19th century it took place at Whitsun and on Assumption day. However as the fairground caravans, which had come to take part in the festival, blocked the path of the procession, the big religious festival was established on the 8th of September, which is the festival of the birth of the Virgin Mary, and this date has been kept ever since.
 
    

If you have any questions : paroisse.josselin@wanadoo.fr

 or get in touch with the presbytery (details under the heading "team").