Armed Procession Marks 400 Years of Pilgrimage

Why this is here: The pilgrimage route covers a distance of 54 kilometers, connecting Rochefort and Foy-Notre-Dame through several small Belgian towns.

Organizers in Rochefort, Belgium plan an armed procession to celebrate the 400th anniversary of a pilgrimage to Foy-Notre-Dame. The pilgrimage, recognized as intangible heritage by the Federation Wallonia-Brussels since 2023, began as a civilian event in 1626. An armed version followed in 1627 and has continued, with few interruptions, for four centuries.

This Sunday, roughly 150 people—pages, infantry, and cavalry—will depart Rochefort’s castle at 11:40 PM. They will travel to Foy-Notre-Dame, arriving Monday morning around 7:00 AM for a celebration led by Bishop Fabien Lejeusne. The group will fire cannons during the 54-kilometer route, which includes stops at Conjoux, Chevetogne, and Frandeux.

The pilgrimage originated in 1609 with the discovery of a statuette of the Virgin Mary in a felled tree. Locals attributed the end of a plague in Rochefort to the finding. While a visit from the Löwenstein princely family from Germany is anticipated, confirmation remains pending.