Pardon (ceremony) - Principal Pardons

Principal Pardons

There are five major Pardons: Saint Yves at Tréguier, known as the Pardon of the poor; Our Lady of Rumengol, known as the Pardon of the singers; Saint-Jean-du-Doigt, near Morlaix, called the Pardon of fire; Saint Ronan, or the Pardon of the mountain; and Sainte Anne de la Palude, or the Pardon of the sea. Very large pilgrimages are made to some Pardons, including those of St. Jean-du-Doigt and Sainte-Anne-d'Auray in Morbihan. The Locronan Pardon of Saint Ronan involves a troménie (a 12 km-long procession). The former occurs on 24 June, and that of Ste Anne d'Auray on 24 July, the anniversary of the finding of the miraculous statue of Saint Anne by the peasant Yves Nicolazic. The latter is regarded as the most famous pilgrimage in all Brittany, and attracts pilgrims from Tréguier, Léonnais, Cornouaille, and especially from Morbihan.

Some Pardons are held during notable religious festivals, such as the Feast of the Assumption on August 15. The Pardons dedicated to the Virgin Mary, are usually followed by those dedicated to Mary's mother, Saint Anne, patron saint of Brittany. However, the majority honour local saints because of their patronage role to protect specific categories of people or activities. Thus there are Pardons dedicated to Saint Gildas at the beginning of June in Trégor, to Saint Guirec, patron of girls about to marry, and to the patron saints of individual parishes.

The Pardon of Saint Yves in Tréguier honours, though him, the legal profession, of which he is patron. Its influence is now international, since thousands of pilgrims, official or anonymous, from all the countries of the world, meet at his tomb in the parish of his birthplace, in fraternities of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals.