Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...
Grand Est
Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...
in north-eastern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
Rabas is neither a village nor a hamlet, but an area located between the hamlet of Befey and the village of Saint-Hubert (all located on the territory of the commune).
As the legend says: "
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
and group of hunters was following a deer in the forest. It was a very hot day and the people were very thirsty. Charlemagne makes the wish then build a church if Jesus came to help. Suddenly, under the feet of its horse spouts out a fresh and limpid source".
The first memory of the chapel is from 806. In 1049, the
Pope Leo IX
Pope Leo IX (, , 21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historica ...
would have come to devote the church.
In 1884 the reconstruction of the chapel started by Abbé Cazin and Vicomte de Coetlosquet offered three windows for the chapel. And it acquired its current form.
Today, there is a new small church in the middle of the forest. Every year, on the Monday of
Pentecost
Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...
, many pilgrims visit the famous chapel.
See also
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Communes of the Moselle department
The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Moselle department of France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include Frenc ...