07/23/2025
For each day of our recent pilgrimage to France, we are sharing the perspectives of our pilgrims! Day 6, a highlight for many on the trip, was 'blogged' by Teresa Haunsperger:
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Saturday, June 28, was the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our day began with Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris. This chapel served as part of the mother house of the Order of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. In 1830, Mary appeared to the novice St. Catherine of Laboure and requested the creation of the medallion of the Immaculate Conception, or the miraculous medal. St. Catherine's incorrupt body can still be seen in a glass coffin, her hands clasped in prayer, near the chair in which Mary sat. Unlike previous cathedrals, where tourists snapping pictures vastly outnumbered pilgrims praying, this chapel was truly a house of prayer, and many pilgrims of all ages joined us for Mass.
After Mass, a short walk brought us to the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul, where his tomb can be venerated (his incorrupt heart is kept at the motherhouse). After a brief time of prayer it was time for our lunch break.
My mother and I found two other nearby churches to visit - St. Ignatius Catholic Church (a very old church now hidden within a more modern building) and St. Thomas Aquinas. Inside this church was a beautiful chapel dedicated to St. Louis, with an image of St. Thomas kneeling before the saintly king. Not only was St. Thomas Aquinas a contemporary of St. Louis, he also twice held the post of Dominican Chair of Theology at the University of Paris, and he and St. Bonaventure would sometimes dine with St. Louis.
After our lunch break we rode the bus to Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre (Sacred Heart of Montmartre). This stunning church is built on the summit of Montmartre, 200 meters above the Seine River, and has an amazing view of the city (if you can make it up the 220 steps to see it!). Tradition holds that Montmartre was the site of the martyrdom of a 3rd century Bishop of Paris, St. Denis, and two companions. According to the story, after he was decapitated St. Denis picked up his head and walked several miles, still preaching, to what is now the Paris suburb of St. Denis, whose basilica became the final resting place for the kings of France until the French Revolution. The current Basilica of Sacre Coeur was not begun until 1875. Since 1885, it has maintained perpetual adoration of the blessed sacrament, even during the World Wars and COVID.
Adjacent to the basilica is Saint-Pierre de Montmartre. Begun in 1133, it is the second oldest church in Paris and the place where St. Ignatius of Loyola and his companions took the vows that led to the founding of the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits). Montmartre also has a rich artistic history. Many famous artists including Monet, Renoir, Dega, Picasso, and Van Gogh lived, worked, or had studios there. After visiting the two churches we had a couple of hours for dinner before the bus returned to the hotel. Behind the explosion of painting stalls we joined some fellow pilgrims at a quiet restaurant and discovered that two hours is, in fact, not long enough to enjoy a meal in Paris, even if it is the middle of the afternoon and you have the whole restaurant to yourselves. The food was delightful and thankfully the walk back to the hotel only took 45 minutes and included some interesting detours. We listened to an ancient-sounding organ and cellist practice for a concert and traversed a walkway over a very old cemetery. The day concluded with a journaling session led by Fr. Craig.
