Comments on: Pilgrimage to Chartres

By: Kathleen Shields

Kathleen Shields — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:42:29 +0000

What a wonderful sight to behold… young people embracing the Faith! Praise God … from whom all blessings flow! May these blessings cross the sea to my native land: America!

By: Cecilia

Cecilia — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:47:27 +0000

What an exquisite pilgrimage. I pray that my family and I may travel to France some day to partake in this expression of love for God!

The situation in America is neither more or less dire than in France. But if I may gently address a comment left by one fellow poster here, I think that the loss of beauty in America that accompanied Vatican II is more evident than it is in France. Yes, the sacraments are relatively scarce in each country, but you are blessed with MANY more UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous churches (take Chartres for example). This external rendering of beauty into shreds was and still is a very painful thing to see. It does not excuse “spitefulness”, but it should be taken into account with grave consideration before passing any judgments.
Anyway, Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God for the communion of 15,000 fellow soldiers in Christ.

By: Patricia R Farley

Patricia R Farley — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:51:05 +0000

Thank you for this most beautiful report.
I am 68 years young and have made the pilgrimage to Chartres twice. (actually three time) Counting the first train trip I made from Paris to Chartres. At that time I traveled there with a Baptist. And I can only remember what she wrote on a rain soaked piece of paper which she silently passed to me.
“God surely lives here at Chartres.”
I remember the second evening of my first actual pilgrimage to Chartres. The early evening sky was blue-violet, and in the middle of a field of sea green wheat the pilgrims knelt before the Blessed Sacrament, which was placed on an altar under a baldachin of blood red scarlet which blew gently in the breeze. This soft breeze comforted me although my body was racked with pain. As I knelt down on the soft carpet of moist grass before the King of Kings I was transported to a different place in time I was uplifted and felt a peace which I have never known before. The waves of verdant wheat caused me to comtempate the beauty all about me. My body was in pain but my soul was transpired and inspired by the young men who were preparing for their all night vigil before the throne of God in the Monstrance. I realized at that moment that we were like the many pilgrims who had come here before us and I knew I was closer to My God then I have ever been before and I thank God that I was blessed to have made that journey on the roads to Chartres. And that I could celebrate the Birthday of the Church of Christ in such a fitting way.
Hope and joy sustained me and still does knowing that these young people will continue to carry the Torch of the True Faith of Our Fathers into the future. I also want to commend Michael Matt and his American contingent, all of whom were most kind and gracious to me. I found the Americans always cheerful and kind not afraid to step up to the plate and become leaders of the pack. Although they traveled thousands of miles to make the pilgimage. I pray for all those wonderful people I met on the way to Chartres. May the Queen of Heaven protect them all and may the oldest daughter of Christian Europe become what she once was. May God make France Holy and fertile. Christ be with us.

By: Joseph Farenbaugh

Joseph Farenbaugh — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:02:13 +0000

If there is a dvd or vhs on this the Pilgrimage to Chartres, I would like to purchase it. Please advise. Thanks – Joe Farenbaugh

By: Lots O’ Links | Commentarii Mei

Lots O’ Links | Commentarii Mei — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:38:24 +0000

[...] next one looks both fun and inspirational. Every year, over 10,000 people make a 72-mile, three-day pilgrimage, from Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to the cathedral at Chartres. I don’t know what the [...]

By: KvK

KvK — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:57:18 +0000

Thank you for posting this most inspiring video. God continues to call and let us be thankful that young people are answering that call.

By: Paul Slocumb

Paul Slocumb — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:32:28 +0000

Most meaningful religious and spiritual practices seem on the one hand anachronisms, while on the other, Eternal and of G-d.

By: Rob Ward

Rob Ward — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:58:07 +0000

The SSPX has a 10-mile pilgrimage from Amsterdam NY to Auriesville on the weekend after the Feast of the Sacred Heart. DEO GRATIAS !

By: Stephan Hobbs

Stephan Hobbs — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:44:37 +0000

I was on the pilgrimage and I can add that it was moving experience and it was not easy. The temperature made for very hot walking on the second day as well as the third.

One comment might be that I notice that the French traditionalists although very traditional were not as boisterous as the American traditionalists. They seemed to be mad, whereas the French did not convey this attitude. The Americans seemed to be always shouting or complaining about something which was not the case with the French. It made me think that there is something to be learned from the French traditionalists. They too must be concerned with the state of the church in their country which is not good and with the many disappointments that they have experienced in some dioceses which still do not welcome the traditional mass and the people who want it, yet they did not seem to be so spiteful as I have experienced with Americans. It is a quieter sort of Catholicism. Not so in your face. Something that we can all learn from. Thanks again for the report.

By: Tom Henderson

Tom Henderson — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:44:11 +0000

Excellent! It demonstrates the growing strength of Tradition in the Church.