Traditional Learning Academy Goes to Chartres

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In the glow from the stained glass, amid clouds of incense and the glorious melodies of polyphony, orchestra and Gregorian chant, footsore and weary pilgrims attended a solemn Pontifical high Mass in the Traditional rite in the Cathedral de Notre Dame de Chartres. When Mass was over, we knelt for the Apostolic blessing, and our hearts glowing, filed slowly out, while the ancient walls of the cathedral echoed to the jubilant hymn, "Chez Nous Soyez Reigne."

Nine students and two teachers from the Traditional Learning Academy in Coquitlam, joined a group from St. Clement's Parish in Ottawa for a 17 day excursion through Catholic France, including the magnificent experience of the three day traditional pilgrimage on foot from Paris to Chartres. Before we left Canada, we received the pilgrims' blessing from parish priests father Charles Ryan and former Vancouverite Father Philip Creurer of the Fraternity of St. Peter.

After our arrival in Paris, we boarded a coach and set off for Nevers, stopping en route to visit the Romanesque church of Vezelay. This church, perched on a hill above the fertile vineyards of Burgundy, contains the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. In Nevers we stayed overnight at the convent of St. Gildard, and visited the incorrupt body of St Bernadette. After Mass, celebrated by Father Ryan, we set off for La Salette, high in the French Alps. Along the way we paused to visit the local cemetery to pray for the French-Canadian pilgrims whose plane crashed on the return flight to Canada from Rome in 1950. It was in La Salette in 1846 that Our Lady, wearing local peasant costume, appeared to two peasant children with a message revealing Our Lord's displeasure at people working on Sundays and taking His holy name in vain.

At La Salette, the students got a chance to go hiking in the spectacular Alpine countryside before attending the candlelight prayer service in the mountaintop basilica. At dinner, we were surprised and delighted to meet Father John Hogan of SS. Peter and Paul Parish, who was travelling with a group of fellow Vancouverites.

The following day we visited the parish church of St. Jean Vianney, the Curé of Ars. We saw many of the parishioners and school groups, accompanied by priests and nuns, in silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament or attending Mass in the side chapels. In the right arm of the transept lay the incorrupt body of the Curé of Ars.

That evening we stayed in the convent at Paray Le Monial where Father Ryan offered Mass in the same chapel that Our Lord revealed His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

On our return to Paris we visited the incorrupt bodies of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Catherine Labouré, only one block from our lodgings at Nicholas Barre, Sâcré Coeur. After we enjoyed a brief walking tour of the Left Bank, along the Champs-Elysees and the Ile de la Cité. we finally retired for an early night before the start of the pilgrimage.

Early the next morning, we met the other pilgrims in Notre Dame Square at sunrise. Piling our luggage in the transport trucks, we joined our chapters with waving parish banners, and national and regional flags. We were ushered into Notre Dame cathedral for the traditional blessing of the pilgrims. At seven o'clock the procession of 15,000 pilgrims moved off through the streets of Paris for the first segment of the walk.

At noon we arrived in the forest of Verrières and assisted at High Mass celebrated in Latin and accompanied by a polyphonic choir and full orchestra. Our lunch was strictly pilgrim fare of bread and wine, eked out with cheese, paté and other snacks the pilgrims had brought with them.

After lunch, packs, banners and flags were hoisted and we set out again with our chaplains, singing, praying, laughing and chatting as we tramped through Ile de France and Beauce, across farmers' fields and along forest trails and village footpaths. At eight in the evening, exhausted and footsore, but still in high spirits, we wound our way into the field campsite at Choisel. We found our luggage, set up our tents and ate our simple dinner of bread, soup and wine. After tending to our aching and blistered feet, we finally fell into a profound blissful sleep.

At 5 a.m. we were awakened by classical and Baroque choral music—soft at first—but later rising to a jubilant crescendo at 5:30, the official time for rising. The day's walk began at seven and ended at eight in the evening, with four 15 minute breaks a nd 90 minutes for lunch and Mass. By the time we arrived in the evening camp, we could see the spires of Chartres Cathedral in the distance. There was a general sigh of relief when we realized that the end of the long walk was in sight.

By 3 p.m. on the third day the pilgrims reached the cathedral of Chartres. Singing and waving our banners, each pilgrim was greeted by the two bishops standing at the entrance to the cathedral. The Canadians of St.Clement's chapter were given a place of honour with the other foreign chapters inside the cathedral, while the rest of the pilgrims filled the square outside.

After the glorious pontifical High Mass in the cathedral, we stayed in Chartres overnight and enjoyed a formal dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate the completion of our pilgrimage.

Chartres Cathedral was consecrated in 1260 and it is believed that St. Louis attended the ceremony. During the middle ages, the extent of the devotion to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Chartres can be shown by the Poème des Miracles of 1210 and Jean le Marchand's 1262 poem. The stained glass windows, containing nearly 4000 figures, also dates from the thirteenth century. The upper windows were presented by St. Louis, St. Ferdinand and Queen Blanche of Castile. The porches and windows represent the glorification of Mary, while the choir enclosure with its beautifully sculptured groups dates from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Among those who have made the pilgrimage were St. Louis, who walked only 21 of the full 72 miles. Philip the Fair; Charles the Fair; Philip of Valois; John the Good who made the pilgrimage three times and left his pilgrim's staff, which is now the bâton cantoral of the Chapter. Charles V made the pilgrimage twice barefoot, Louis XI, Henri III who made eighteen pilgrimages; and King Henri IV who was crowned in the Cathedral on 27th February 1594. Louis XIV and Popes Pascal II, I nnocent II, and Alexander III. also made the pilgrimage. The pilgrims from TLA who trod the way from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres were truly walking in the footsteps of t he great.

It was a stirring sight to look back at the line of 15,000 pilgrims stretching out over one mile of the green countryside of France and to realize that the future of the traditional rite of the Latin Mass is now assured.

The next day we boarded the coach for the ancient Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault where we spent two days of rest, reflection and exploration. We returned through Chartres to Paris, travel-weary, but filled with joy, and looking forward to the next St. Clement Chartres pilgrimage which is tentatively set for the first year of the new millenium in 2001. X
—Martin Dale