Our Mother Church

Fourvière Hill, overlooking Lyon, was originally the location of the old Roman Forum where some of the first Christians were martyred. 

Martyrs in the year 177

As early as 1168, a Christian chapel was built on the hill, which had already become a Marian shrine. 

The the shrine of Our Lady of Fourvière is significant for us in New Zealand. On 23rd July 1816 the twelve Marist aspirants, priests and seminarians, climbed the hill to They placed their promise to found the Society of Mary under the corporal on the altar while Jean-Claude Courveille celebrated Mass. After communion they read out their declaration promising to devote themselves and all that they ad to the foundation of the Society of Mary.

Fourvière Pledge

All for the greater glory of God and the greater honour of Mary, Mother of the Lord Jesus.

We the undersigned, striving to work together for the greater glory of God and the honour of Mary, Mother of the Lord Jesus, assert and declare our sincere intention and firm will of consecrating ourselves at the first opportunity to founding the pious congregation of Mary-ists. That is why by the present act and our signatures, in so far as we can, we irrevocably dedicate ourselves and all our goods to the Society of the blessed Virgin.

We do this not childishly or lightly or for some human motive or the hope of material benefit, but seriously, maturely, having taken advice, having weighed everything before God, solely for the greater Glory of God and the honour of Mary, Mother of the Lord Jesus.

We pledge ourselves to accept all sufferings, trials, inconveniences, and if needs be, torture, because we can do all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens us and to whom we hereby promise fidelity in the bosom of our holy mother the Roman Catholic Church, cleaving with all our strength to its supreme head the Roman Pontiff and to our most reverend bishop, the ordinary, that we may be good ministers of Jesus Christ, nourished by the words of faith and by the wholesome teaching which by his grace we have received.


We trust that under the reign of our most Christian kind, the friend of peace and religion, this institute will shortly come to light and we solemnly promise that we shall spend ourselves and all we have in saving souls in every way under the very august name of the Virgin Mary and with her help. And may the holy and immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary be praised. Amen

On the left of the chancel is a plaque commemorating this event, and on the opposite side of the plaque commemorating the Marist Brothers (FMS). In the years which followed, many Marists came to the shrine and on 29th August 1833 a Mass was celebrated there before the departure of Fathers Colin, Chanel and Bourdin for Rome.

In October 1836 before the departure of the first missionaries for Oceania, Bishop Pompallier had a novena of Masses offered here, and on the final day Fr Peter Chanel SM, hung a heart containing the names of the missionaries around the neck of the Infant Jesus, giving birth to the legend that Mary had given her mantle to the future martyr.

The church also features plaques commemorating the founding of many missionary orders from the Lyon area including from the Diocese of Hamilton, the Marist brothers and fathers, the Mission sisters and New Zealand's own Sisters of Compassion founded by Servant of God Suzanne Aubert. Men and women of faith who brought the Catholic faith to New Zealand

During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1), Prussian forces, having taken Paris, were progressing south towards Lyon. Their halt and retreat were, once again, attributed by the Church to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. As an act of thanksgiving the current Basilica of Our Lady of Fourvière was built and dedicated in 1896.

Our Lady of Fourvière, pray for us

St Peter Chanel, pray for us

All holy men and women, pray for us