Roche Mouselle

Both a refuge and a place of devotion, this place in Petit-Fays is a natural refuge under the rock. Lost in the heart of the Namur Ardennes forest, it was where those who refused to enlist under the First Napoleonic Empire hid. But where does devotion actually come from? Listen, on August 23, 1914, at the beginning of the First World War, the residents of Monceau and Petit-Fays, fearing the German uhlans, harnessed a wagon with two sturdy Ardennes horses, laden with children, the sick, and the elderly, and sought refuge at Roche Mouselle. They felt safe there while the fighting raged in Petit-Fays. As the Germans stormed the village, the horses of two frightened French officers broke their ropes and fled across the countryside. While the parents in Roche Mouselle were busy organizing the event, forty children were playing outside, but the shells were exploding ever closer. Mr. Maldague, leading the group of villagers, ordered the children to pray in the crevice. At that moment, the two terrified French horses crashed into the carriage. All the refugees were safe. In their joy, they cried out for a miracle and promised to build a Marian grotto there. When peace returned, their promise was forgotten! In 1940, the inhabitants found a way to fulfill their 1914 resolution. Thus, in 1942, Roche Mouselle was converted into a Marian grotto. The refuge became a place of devotion, and since then, Mass has been celebrated there on the last Sunday of September.

René le Belge