La Roche-Pépin, a village in Saint-Georges and its abandoned chapel—this could have been the headline in the newspaper Ouest-France in May 1992. Indeed, in the heart of the Saint-Georges hamlet stands the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, located on the pilgrims' route to Santiago de Compostela. A chapel with the distinction of belonging to the village's inhabitants.
The construction of this building began in 1858, without the bishop's authorization. Its founders, Eugène Jaunet (mayor of Saint-Georges in 1857) and his sisters Victorine and Elisa, were a wealthy family who fed the poor. On May 16, 1859, Monsignor Delamare blessed the chapel. A building that, after their deaths, would gradually fall into disrepair. But the month of Mary continued to be celebrated there until 1952.
Miss Gris, who looked after the chapel, said, "When I was young, we celebrated the month of Mary there, avoiding standing under the dangerous areas."
The upper part of the chapel deteriorated, and in 1970, the slate roof finally collapsed. Father Jagueneau, who had attempted repairs, gave up due to the scale and cost of the work. The bell that rang the Angelus and for funerals was almost taken down in 1972. Only the sacred stone of the altar was removed. In 1986, a stone falling from the top of the building hit a car, creating controversy and tension among the villagers, some of whom reinforced the upper part of the walls.
Michel Bonnet, the mayor, gathered the villagers to discuss a crucial question: should the chapel be razed, as some local residents suggested, or should funds be raised to restore the building? In 1992, under the leadership of Marc Jaulin, the Association for the Preservation of Heritage was founded and raised funds for two years to restore the chapel.
The restoration took place from May 1993 to May 1997, requiring 545 hours of volunteer work, at a total cost of €42,662, of which €32,342 was funded by the association and municipal and departmental grants. Today, the restored and flower-bedecked chapel is open to visitors, and the month of Mary is celebrated there in May. Léone Epaulais, who arranges flowers and maintains the chapel, also recalls a legend: "More than a hundred years ago, the crown of the Blessed Virgin was thrown onto the flames of a fire, and the fire went out."