Chapel of Our Lady of Emergency - Heiloo

Onze Lieve Vrouw ter Nood in Heiloo in the province of North Holland is the largest Marian pilgrimage site in the Netherlands. The name Heiloo is a contraction of the words 'Heilig' and 'Loo'. Loo' means 'forest' in Old Dutch.

The history of the Sanctuary dates back to the end of the 14th century. At that time, a farmer found a statue of Mary on his land. He took it home, but miraculously it returned to the place it was found. Around the same time, a ship was in distress off the coast near Heiloo. In his distress, the skipper prayed to God. Above the roar of the waves and the roar of the wind he heard a clear female voice saying: 'If you honour me the wind will turn'. The skipper recognised the voice of the Godmother and promised to dedicate himself to her worship. Arriving safely on land, both stories came together and the place for the construction of the Chapel of Grace was found. From 1409 there is a document preserved in the archives of the Archdiocese of Utrecht that speaks of the 'capelle in de banne van Heiligenloo'.