Pere Laval Shrine

Jacques-Desire Laval was a French priest who arrived in Mauritius in 1841, shortly after the abolition of slavery, and spent twenty-three years working among the freed population, learning Creole and baptising tens of thousands; he died in 1864 and was beatified in 1979, the first beatification of the pontificate. His tomb at Sainte-Croix, with a painted effigy on the lid, has become a pilgrimage site visited not only by Catholics but by Hindus, Muslims and Tamils, which is one of the more striking things about it: people of several faiths come to ask for healing. On 9 September, the anniversary of his death, tens of thousands walk to the shrine, many overnight and on foot from across the island.

What you actually see

• The tomb effigy - the painted figure on the sarcophagus.
• The pilgrim church - the modern building around the grave.
• Offerings and petitions - the candles and requests left by visitors.
• The 9 September pilgrimage - the mass walk to the shrine each year.

When to go

May to December for the weather. The 9 September anniversary is the great pilgrimage and fills the whole area; ordinary days are quiet. Sundays are busier with local worshippers.

Honest expectations

The church around the tomb is a plain modern building with little architectural interest. On the September anniversary access roads are closed and crowds are enormous. The surrounding area of Sainte-Croix is a working suburb. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Central Port Louis lies south; Pamplemousses garden is north.