The Ghost of Naard and the Pilgrimage

Several people from Limburg were returning from Germany at Whitsuntide, planning to walk to Scherpenheuvel on pilgrimage. Along the way they stopped in Diest to drink coffee and rest. But while they sat in the café, one of them, a man named Naard, suddenly dropped dead.

The shock was great. Naard was buried in Diest and the pilgrims returned home in sorrow. But the story of Naard was not yet over.

After the burial, Naard’s brother could no longer sleep at night. Every night, the ghost of the deceased appeared beside his bed. The brother was terrified and did not know what to do. On the advice of the priest, the brother asked the ghost one night: “Naard, what do you want from me?”

The ghost answered in a sorrowful voice: “I had promised to go on pilgrimage, and I must keep my promise. You must go on pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel for me, and afterwards you must go to the shop and pay two francs and seventy-five cents.”

The brother did as Naard had asked. He set out on foot for Scherpenheuvel. Along the entire way, the ghost of Naard walked ahead of him, like a silent guide. In the basilica of Scherpenheuvel, the ghost sat on the right side next to a pillar, as if in prayer.

When the brother went to communion, the ghost of Naard went with him. After communion, the brother felt a great peace come over him. From that moment on, the ghost of Naard was never seen again. The promise had been kept, and Naard’s soul was finally at rest.