A tiny stone statue a little more than two and a half feet high. This is the Jesus Statue in Lille. It sits serenely on the lap of its mother. The Our Lady of the Treille statue. For centuries this statue has been a focal point of faith and miracles.
Legend speaks of incredible healings. Back in 1234 fifty-three disabled patients prayed before this very statue. They were miraculously cured. These miraculous events continued. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Deliverance from demonic possession blindness paralysis even the plague. The statue’s power spread through Lille.
The statue wasn’t always here in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Treille. It originally resided in St Peter’s Collegiate Church. Protected by a gilded wooden trellis. A trellis that gave the Our Lady her name. The French Revolution almost destroyed the statue. A sacristan bravely rescued it. He hid it saving it from destruction.
Later the statue found a home in St Catherine’s Church. Devotion to Our Lady of the Treille revived. A grand new church was built. The statue moved in 1872. It was canonically crowned just two years later.
Tragedy struck in 1959. The original statue was stolen. A new statue was crafted by Marie Madeleine Weerts. This is the statue you see today. A testament to the enduring faith of the people of Lille. A powerful symbol of hope and healing. It stands as a reminder of the miracles that have taken place over many centuries.
The Jesus Statue small yet mighty. A silent witness to the history of Lille. A symbol of faith perseverance and hope. It continues to inspire devotion. A beacon of light in the heart of the city.