Pilgrimage sites in the Netherlands – Tienray

TIENRAY

History

Tienray, located in the province of Limburg and belonging to the municipality of Horst aan de Maas. Since 1879, it has held the honorary title of “Little Lourdes”. This place of pilgrimage has a long history…

Archaeological research has shown that people lived in this region as early as 5000 BC. The Church of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, stands on the site of a chapel from the 13th century. The pilgrimage site is already mentioned in the year 1440. In 1442, there was a chapel, as that year is engraved on a St. Mary's bell. In 1485, a new St. Mary's chapel was built.

In the church stands a centuries-old statue of Mary. Excavations in 1944, after the church was destroyed by wartime violence, yielded remnants of a small chapel, which was built in the 13th century. This chapel was destroyed several times by vandals, namely in the 16th and 17th centuries. That was the time of the Reformation, when Protestants destroyed Catholic chapels, churches, and statues. The ruling Protestants also made it difficult for pilgrims to visit Mary in Tienray. After these turbulent years, the pilgrimage revived and later in the 17th and 18th centuries, devotion to Mary was great.

In 1874, the then priest in Tienray, Johannes Baptist Hubertus Maessen (1825-1909), who was a clergyman there from 1874 to 1909, wanted Our Lady of Lourdes to be venerated in Tienray.

From 1875, the veneration of Mary in Tienray was permitted again. This is when the name “Klein Lourdes” (Little Lourdes) originated, as the Pope of Rome, Pius IX (1846-1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti (1792-1878), gave permission in 1877 for the pilgrimage site Klein Lourdes to be established in Tienray. However, the existing chapel proved too small for this purpose. In 1877, a large church was built based on the design of architect Johannes Kayser (1842-1917) from Venlo, who designed many churches, monasteries, and schools. The larger building allowed for many pilgrims to be received.

The wooden statue of Mary is 98 centimetres high and has a prominent place in the church. On the pedestal is the text “Image of Grace, in this place since 1440”. In 1886, the statue was polychromed by Jozef (Josephus Matheus Hubertus) Thissen (1840-1920) from Roermond.

The Devotionalia Kiosk is located at Kloosterstraat 3 and was built in 1908. The nearby mission convent “Sint-Joseph” of the Sisters Servants of the Precious Blood was built in 1909.

In 1913, the first stations were built in the Kruiswegpark. The chapels were designed by the Limburg architect Caspar (Caspar Johannes Hubertus) Franssen (1860-1932). They are made of coloured bricks and consist of a station with a relief. The Kruiswegpark was later expanded.

In 1925, Pope Pius XI (1922-1939), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (1857-1939), gave Tienray permission to also venerate Bernadette Soubirous, the seer of Mary in Lourdes, France, in public and to place her image. In 1931, Joep (Joseph Alphons Maria) Thissen (1919-2010) created a statue of Bernadette as a nun.

In 1944, the church was destroyed by the ravages of war. Architect Martien (Martinus Hendrikus Josephus) van Beek (1896-1962) designed a new church in 1946. The building pastor was Jan (Jan Antoon Hubert) Dinckels (1886-1963), who was the pastor in Tienray from 1932 to 1955. This pastor was a great promoter of pilgrimages to Tienray. Construction of the church of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted began in 1950, and the consecration took place two years later. The tower was completed in 1956.

In the church stands a large Lourdes grotto. According to a design by Peter Cruysberg (1917-1986), it was built in 1982. The Lourdes grotto has a history in Tienray. The first Lourdes grotto was made in the church in 1885. However, in 1944, the grotto was destroyed by violence during the Second World War (1940-1945). An abstract grotto was built in 1950, but parishioners did not appreciate it. Their preference was for a fairly faithful copy of the real grotto in Lourdes, France. As a result, another grotto was made. Above the grotto it states “Lourdesgrot since 1888”.

Pilgrimage site

A sign stating “Little Lourdes since 1877, pilgrimage site since 1440” immediately catches visitors' attention.
The Church of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted is strikingly central in Tienray. The church was built between 1950 and 1953. Inside the church, to the right of the presbytery, in a side chapel, stands a large Lourdes grotto.

The statue of Mary in the church reads “Image of Grace, venerated here since 1440”.

Behind the church is the former devotionalia shop. This space later became a parish hall. In the church garden, there is also a group of white natural stone statues depicting the Holy Family. The kiosk with devotionalia is located at Kloosterstraat 3.

The Stations of the Cross begin in the Over de Beek park, then continue along Burgemeester van Berghstraat, and the final stations are located behind the church. The Stations of the Cross park is maintained by volunteers.

The church, Lourdes grotto, and statue of grace are open daily to the public.

The “Friends of Little Lourdes” support and help build the future of the pilgrimage site in Tienray.

ACCESSIBILITY

Klein Lourdes in Tienray is located in the province of Limburg, a few kilometres north of Venlo and close to the German border. Tienray belongs to the municipality of Horst aan de Maas. In the centre of the village stands the church Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, at Kloosterstraat 1.

More information can be found at www.kleinlourdes.nl, where you can also find the latest news.

Experience

As I approach the church, I notice a white natural stone statue of Mary, standing next to the church on a brick plinth. I read the inscription “Our Lady, pray for us”. Then it's time to visit the church. I immediately see the impressive Lourdes grotto. Is this the largest Lourdes grotto in a church in the Netherlands? I light a candle there and pray to Mary. I thank her that the journey here went smoothly.

Ex-votos hang on the church wall; they are testimonies of gratitude to Our Lady. A little later I find myself at the special statue of Mary. What history this effigy has! My tour of the church continues and I am impressed by the beautiful house of God.

After leaving the church, I'm going into Processiepark. I'll look at the Stations of the Cross, which begin in the park, Over de Beek, and a large statue of the Holy Family, which stands just behind the church.

I feel like I'm in the French Lourdes here, because that place is located on the river Gave de Pau and in Tienray, Klein Lourdes is situated on the Grote Molenbeek. The large Lourdes grotto in the church spans quite a few metres and looks very typical of the one at the pilgrimage site in France. It's just like I'm in the south of France. Has the famous Grotto from Lourdes now been moved to Tienray? I want to come back here again.

Posted 24 November 2021
Last modified: 26 July 2022

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