ABOUT
Like every seven years, the Saint Feuillen traditional "Tour" will be organized on September 29th, 2019 !
On September 29th, 2019, the Traditional "Tour" :
For the past two centuries, the Saint Feuillen traditional "Tour" is always the same.
It doesn't stay through the streets of the city centre but goes over hills and dales, through fiels and woods and makes a "Tour" around the city. This ring's measure is 12 km. It is accomplished between 8 am and 7 pm and finishes in front of the church where every participants use their weapons and guns to honour Saint Feuillen.
For example, during the latest edition, in 2012, some 3,000 participants were distributed as follows : the “Compagnies de l'Etat-Major”: the “Chasseurs à cheval”, the “Grenadiers de la XIVe Brigade”, the “Compagnie des Mameluks”, the “Compagnie des Congolais”, the “Musique des Volontaires”, the “Compagnie des Zouaves”, the “Compagnie des Tromblons”.
The Marches of the Entity of Fosses : the “Marche Saint-Feuillen de Haut-Vent”, the “Marche Notre-Dame d'Aisemont”, the “Marches Saint-Barthélemy de Bambois”, the “Sainte-Gertrude de Le Roux”, the “Saint-Remy de Nèvremont”, the “Saint-Roch de Sart-Eustache”, the “Saint-Laurent de Sart-Saint-Laurent”, the “Saint-Pierre de Vitrival” and the “Bataillon d'Austerlitz de Vitrival”. The invited marches : the “marche Saint-Roch de Châtelet”, the “Compagnie des Turcos de Floreffe”, the “marche Saint-Jean de Mettet”, the “marche Notre-Dame de Walcourt”, the “Compagnie des Zouaves de Malonne”.
Moreover, since 1970, delegations from the “l'Association des marches de l'Entre- Sambre-et-Meuse”, with their batteries and flags accompany the procession in the afternoon and for the return. We can therefore say that the seven-year march of Saint-Feuillen in Fosses is largely regional event and is representative of the folklore of the “Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse”.
Since 2012, this folklore is recognized as Intangile Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
For the past two centuries, the Saint Feuillen traditional "Tour" is always the same.
It doesn't stay through the streets of the city centre but goes over hills and dales, through fiels and woods and makes a "Tour" around the city. This ring's measure is 12 km. It is accomplished between 8 am and 7 pm and finishes in front of the church where every participants use their weapons and guns to honour Saint Feuillen.
For example, during the latest edition, in 2012, some 3,000 participants were distributed as follows : the “Compagnies de l'Etat-Major”: the “Chasseurs à cheval”, the “Grenadiers de la XIVe Brigade”, the “Compagnie des Mameluks”, the “Compagnie des Congolais”, the “Musique des Volontaires”, the “Compagnie des Zouaves”, the “Compagnie des Tromblons”.
The Marches of the Entity of Fosses : the “Marche Saint-Feuillen de Haut-Vent”, the “Marche Notre-Dame d'Aisemont”, the “Marches Saint-Barthélemy de Bambois”, the “Sainte-Gertrude de Le Roux”, the “Saint-Remy de Nèvremont”, the “Saint-Roch de Sart-Eustache”, the “Saint-Laurent de Sart-Saint-Laurent”, the “Saint-Pierre de Vitrival” and the “Bataillon d'Austerlitz de Vitrival”. The invited marches : the “marche Saint-Roch de Châtelet”, the “Compagnie des Turcos de Floreffe”, the “marche Saint-Jean de Mettet”, the “marche Notre-Dame de Walcourt”, the “Compagnie des Zouaves de Malonne”.
Moreover, since 1970, delegations from the “l'Association des marches de l'Entre- Sambre-et-Meuse”, with their batteries and flags accompany the procession in the afternoon and for the return. We can therefore say that the seven-year march of Saint-Feuillen in Fosses is largely regional event and is representative of the folklore of the “Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse”.
Since 2012, this folklore is recognized as Intangile Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
WHOLE SCHEDULE :
Su 05/05/19 : 1st preliminary outing
Su 07/14/19 : 2nd preliminary outing
Su 08/18/19 : 3th preliminary outing and "Vow" renewal ceremony
09/06+07+08 : St Feuillen' Guild's event
Sa 09/21/19 : Evening watch
Sa 09/21/19 : Irish concert event
Su 09/22/19 : Benediction of participants
Sa 09/28/19 : Religious holy messe
Su 09/29/19 : St Feuillen traditional Tour
Mo 09/30/19 : Aldermen's reception
Tu 10/01/19 : Officer's reception
We 10/02/19 : Tchôds-Tchôds' outing
Sa 10/05/19 : Pilgrims' outing
Su 10/06/19 : Medals outing
Su 05/05/19 : 1st preliminary outing
Su 07/14/19 : 2nd preliminary outing
Su 08/18/19 : 3th preliminary outing and "Vow" renewal ceremony
09/06+07+08 : St Feuillen' Guild's event
Sa 09/21/19 : Evening watch
Sa 09/21/19 : Irish concert event
Su 09/22/19 : Benediction of participants
Sa 09/28/19 : Religious holy messe
Su 09/29/19 : St Feuillen traditional Tour
Mo 09/30/19 : Aldermen's reception
Tu 10/01/19 : Officer's reception
We 10/02/19 : Tchôds-Tchôds' outing
Sa 10/05/19 : Pilgrims' outing
Su 10/06/19 : Medals outing
Saint-Feuillen
It is in his honour that processions and the Traditional "Tour" are organized.
Squares battalions
During the "Tour", by 3 times, every participants make a shoot together to honour Saint-Feuillen.
Single file shooting
A great single file shooting to honour Saint-Feuillen is organized in front of the church to finish every outings.
HISTORY
In Fosses, for the past nine centuries, we honour the Saint Feuillen's relics ...
The city of Fosses owes its origin to Saint-Feuillen or Foillan, an Irish monk who came to evangelize our country around 650 and had received a part of his estate called Bebrona (Beaver River), and later Fossa from Gertrude, the abbessa of Nivelles.
He founded a monastery of "Scots" upon these lands. The religious history teaches us that Foillan was assassinated on October 31st, 655 in the “Forêt Charbonnière”, near the Roeulx. In 656 his remains were brought back to Fosses, where Foillan became Saint Feuillen and later the patron saint of the city, with a rapidly spreading cult.
It is in his honour that processions were organized. The earliest mention in the archives is that of 1086, during the transfer of the relics to a new shrine. This religious ceremony has been organized for the past nine centuries.
The "Military March", however, only exists for certain since its inception in 1566, with a company of arquebusiers of which the statutes stipulate that they have to "find themselves in noble company, with their flags in the wind, with fifes and drums, weapons and crew, on the day they carry the glorious body of Mr. Saint Pholien".
It is therefore more to honour the relics of the patron saint than to defend them against the brigands that this military escort was provided during processions. But why is the event organized every seven years ? Because a "Vow" was made to organize processions in the early seventeenth century : the plague ravaged the region between 1634 and 1637, and it is from 1635 that this wish to hold processions every seven years was issued by the canons and the magistrates of Fosses. But it was only in 1844, that people strictly held themselves to the seven-year gap, even during the latest war in 1942.
In 1900, the procession of Saint-Feuillen already featured 25 companies and nearly 3,000 men. The crowd was estimated at more than 50,000 people and the station of Fosses, opened ten years earlier, issued 22,000 coupons!
In 1914, the preparations were interrupted by the war, but in 1918, the Dean Crépin held a moving ceremony to honour our patron saint by having his relics carried by Irish soldiers in a procession through the streets of the city centre, the day was presided over by the Abbot of Maredsous, Dom Columba Marmion, himself an Irishman.
The outings of 1921 and 1928 were more modest, and in 1935 the General Staff became a non-profit organization and really boosted the march. Despite the war, in 1942, the General Staff decided to organize the procession and obtained permission from the Kommandantur of Namur; there could be no uniforms or weapons, but companies of Fosses (without their members who were made POWs) and those of Haut-Vent, Nèvremont, and Bambois, accomplished the Tour in impeccable ranks and "armed" with... paper bags that they would blow up and pop at the officer’s command : this was of course a lot quieter than guns and blunderbusses, but the spirit was there! So this outing was called “Li Mârche ôs satchos” (the march with the bags).
For the following marches, the organizers wanted to excel by attracting more people, more guest companies and by the sumptuousness of the procession.
He founded a monastery of "Scots" upon these lands. The religious history teaches us that Foillan was assassinated on October 31st, 655 in the “Forêt Charbonnière”, near the Roeulx. In 656 his remains were brought back to Fosses, where Foillan became Saint Feuillen and later the patron saint of the city, with a rapidly spreading cult.
It is in his honour that processions were organized. The earliest mention in the archives is that of 1086, during the transfer of the relics to a new shrine. This religious ceremony has been organized for the past nine centuries.
The "Military March", however, only exists for certain since its inception in 1566, with a company of arquebusiers of which the statutes stipulate that they have to "find themselves in noble company, with their flags in the wind, with fifes and drums, weapons and crew, on the day they carry the glorious body of Mr. Saint Pholien".
It is therefore more to honour the relics of the patron saint than to defend them against the brigands that this military escort was provided during processions. But why is the event organized every seven years ? Because a "Vow" was made to organize processions in the early seventeenth century : the plague ravaged the region between 1634 and 1637, and it is from 1635 that this wish to hold processions every seven years was issued by the canons and the magistrates of Fosses. But it was only in 1844, that people strictly held themselves to the seven-year gap, even during the latest war in 1942.
In 1900, the procession of Saint-Feuillen already featured 25 companies and nearly 3,000 men. The crowd was estimated at more than 50,000 people and the station of Fosses, opened ten years earlier, issued 22,000 coupons!
In 1914, the preparations were interrupted by the war, but in 1918, the Dean Crépin held a moving ceremony to honour our patron saint by having his relics carried by Irish soldiers in a procession through the streets of the city centre, the day was presided over by the Abbot of Maredsous, Dom Columba Marmion, himself an Irishman.
The outings of 1921 and 1928 were more modest, and in 1935 the General Staff became a non-profit organization and really boosted the march. Despite the war, in 1942, the General Staff decided to organize the procession and obtained permission from the Kommandantur of Namur; there could be no uniforms or weapons, but companies of Fosses (without their members who were made POWs) and those of Haut-Vent, Nèvremont, and Bambois, accomplished the Tour in impeccable ranks and "armed" with... paper bags that they would blow up and pop at the officer’s command : this was of course a lot quieter than guns and blunderbusses, but the spirit was there! So this outing was called “Li Mârche ôs satchos” (the march with the bags).
For the following marches, the organizers wanted to excel by attracting more people, more guest companies and by the sumptuousness of the procession.
Since its inception in 1566, and in any case during the procession of 1571, the Oath of Arquebusiers has been responsible for the guard of honour of the relics. Gradually, companies from the surrounding villages joined that of Fosses : Floreffe was added in 1671, Malonne in 1686, Haut-Vent, Bambois, "Les Monts " (Nèvremont and Aisemont), Vitrival and Sart-Saint-Laurent in 1709, Falisolle and Mettet in 1713; Biesme, Châtelet and others during the nineteenth century.
"Vow" renewal ceremony
The Saint-Feuillen church welcome the participants for the "Vow" renewal ceremony and for the blessing ceremony.
Medal holders
Each participant who has made at least 7 times the "Tour" receives a medal. The best record is today 13 times !
A complete success !
In 2012, 3000 participants have walked the traditional "Tour". More than 90 flags of the others towns and cities were with us !
MAP
For the past two centuries, the Saint Feuillen traditional "Tour" is always the same. It almost doesn't stay through the streets of the city centre but goes over hills and dales, through fiels and woods and makes a "Tour" around the city. This ring's measure is 12 km. It is accomplished between 8 am and 7 pm and finishes in front of the church where every participants use their weapons and guns to honour Saint Feuillen.
NEWS
News 01
Quis enim aut eum diligat quem metuat, aut eum a quo se metui putet? Coluntur tamen simulatione dumtaxat ad tempus. Quod si forte, ut fit plerumque, ceciderunt, tum intellegitur quam fuerint inopes amicorum. Quod Tarquinium dixisse ferunt, tum exsulantem se intellexisse quos fidos amicos habuisset, quos infidos, cum iam neutris gratiam referre posset.
News 02
Quis enim aut eum diligat quem metuat, aut eum a quo se metui putet? Coluntur tamen simulatione dumtaxat ad tempus. Quod si forte, ut fit plerumque, ceciderunt, tum intellegitur quam fuerint inopes amicorum
News 03
Quis enim aut eum diligat quem metuat, aut eum a quo se metui putet? Coluntur tamen simulatione dumtaxat ad tempus. Quod si forte, ut fit plerumque, ceciderunt, tum intellegitur quam fuerint inopes amicorum.
Quod Tarquinium dixisse ferunt, tum exsulantem se intellexisse quos fidos amicos habuisset, quos infidos, cum iam neutris gratiam referre posset.
Quod Tarquinium dixisse ferunt, tum exsulantem se intellexisse quos fidos amicos habuisset, quos infidos, cum iam neutris gratiam referre posset.
CONTACT
Want to know more ? You can contact us here.
CONTACT ADDRESS
info@saintfeuillen.org
Tél : +32473805243
12 Place du Marché
B-5070 FOSSES-LA-VILLE
info@saintfeuillen.org
Tél : +32473805243
12 Place du Marché
B-5070 FOSSES-LA-VILLE
