HOLY WIVINA BROTHERHOOD AND MEDALS OF POPE LEON XIII

Belonging to the d’Oisy family, Wivina withdrew from the world in the 12th century to a hermitage near Brussels, in Grand-Bigard. She was sanctified and her relics were entrusted to the church at the Sablon when the invasion of French revolutionaries put it in danger. The reliquary is located in the right side nave of the church.

Pious image of Saint Wivine with Grand-Bigard on the left and the church at Le Sablon on the right

The first nunciature to the Kingdom of Belgium was located opposite the church, and a commemorative plaque on the façade bears witness to this. The Nuncio often came to the church and revived the devotion to Saint Wivina by presiding himself the Sunday Mass which follows her liturgical feast. Since then, almost every Nuncio has done the same.

The Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union, Mgr Noël Treanor presides over the celebration in front of the reliquary

It was Leopold I who proposed to the Pope that Archbishop Pecci be made a cardinal. He quickly became one and was later elected Pope. He is famous for his encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) which defined the social policy of the church, revolutionary for the time. The brotherhood of Saint Wivine was very active, and when the reliquary was carried in procession to the Place du Grand Sablon, it was barely enough to contain the crowd of devotees.

Processie van het reliekschrijn op de Place du Grand Sablon

The Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union, Mgr Noël Treanor presides over the celebration in front of the reliquary

The brotherhood installed a large stained-glass window in the choir depicting the wearing of the reliquary, with the coats of arms of its members all around.

Stained glass in the choir representing the reliquary and members of the brotherhood