Feumes, vos qu’ a l’coûr d’ ine Marèye, vinez chal qu’ on v’ fièstèye.
Women, you who have the heart of a Mary, come here, so that we may celebrate you.
The procession of the Black Madonna—one of the highlights of the August 15 celebrations, marking the Assumption of Mary—brings this centuries-old statue into the spotlight. Housed in Saint Nicholas Church in Outremeuse, the statue dates back to the 17th century. Its dark color was not intentional but is believed to result from a patina that has developed over time.
On August 15, the procession in honour of the Black Madonna concludes with a Mass celebrated in Walloon, and every woman named Marie is given flowers. The Virgin Mary is the patron saint of the district, a devotion still reflected in the many potales—small wooden chapels, often adorned with a statue of the Virgin—that can be found throughout the area.
These potales are especially common along the streets of the neighbourhood and in certain årvôs (vaulted passageways) that mark the entrances to narrow alleys. As you wander through Outremeuse, you’ll come across many of these charming wooden chapels.