Today, with my brother Antoine and his wife Marie-Hélène, we went to visit a chapel in Saint-Philibert, not far from Carnac where they own a house.
This chapel is known as Notre-Dame-du-Flux-et-du-Reflux (Our Lady of ebb and flow), Notre-Dame du Steb, or Chapelle Saint-Philibert.
It was built as a parish church in the XVIIth century. Here is a picture taken one hundred years ago:
Near the chapel is a small fountain called "fontaine aux bêtes" (fountain of the animals).
The large fountain is a monument of the XVIIIth century. Its pyramidal dome is surmounted by a monolithic cross made of granite. The monument is delimited by a walled enclosure. People from the village came here to get their water.
Here we can see the chapel and the two fountains:
The chapel was dedicated to Saint Philibert and gave its name to the town.
Like in many churches in Brittany near the sea, there are small models of ships suspended in the chapel. If you look carefully, you will see four ships.
Another view of the chapel, from the same place as the photo of a century ago:
Here is the translation of a prayer specific to this chapel:
Our Lady of ebb and flow
Our Lady of the old ages
Our Lady of the passing time
take pity on us
who are passing
on the beach.
Our Lady of ebb and flow
Our Lady of the comings and goings
walk with us on the sand,
before ever fades
the trace of our steps.
Our Lady of the white dunes
and curved hills modeled by the hand of the wind,
soothes and heals our worries,
before we ever disappeared
in the sands of time.
Our Lady of the air, of the light morning air,
of the crushing wind in the shaking beachgrass,
fill our lungs with the outdoors,
before we ever miss
the breath of life.
At the time of the last passage, Our Lady,
the last sigh as the last look,
and the last kiss as well as the last handshake,
remember our pilgrimage
on the beach.
And lead us
in the dazzle
of the eternal light, Amen.
