PILGRIMAGE TO CHARTRES 2014

"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth"

The Irish Chapter, Chapitre St. Patrick, will meet in Paris on Friday the 6th of June to celebrate the Holy Mass and have a last meal before beginning the three day pilgrimage from Notre-Dame Paris to Notre-Dame Chartres.

The annual Pentecost pilgrimage takes place over three days, June 7th -9th, with pilgrims walking the 60 miles to Chartres. During the three days we pray, sing, observe times of silence and listen to meditations and homilies. There is a strong communal aspect to the pilgrimage, and pilgrims are encouraged to stay within their own chapter, or group, as much as possible. Each year pilgrims have a theme to contemplate, the theme for the 2014 pilgrimage, taken from Genesis, is: "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth". This theme will be explored each day through meditations, prepared in advance by pilgrims, which concentrate on sub-themes; Saturday will follow the sub-theme: God and the creation of man, Sunday: Creation for the adoration of God, Monday: Society as the image of Divine Order.

Itinerary

Friday 6th June

(The Irish Chapter has rooms for pilgrims booked in Hotel Excelsior, Rue Cujas)

5:45pm Pilgrims meet at St. Patrick's Chapel, Collége des Irlandais

6:00pm Holy Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Chapel

7:00pm Meal, Rue Soulfflot which is adjacent to the hotel

Saturday 7th June - Patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas

7:00am High Mass in Notre Dame Cathedral

8:30am Departure of pilgrims from Paris 

Sunday 8th June - Patronage of St. Francis of Assisi 

1:00pm Solenm High Mass in the open air to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost

Monday 9th June - Patronage of St. Thomas Moore 

3:30pm Solemn High Mass in Chartres Cathedral
8:00pm Meal in Le Serpente Restaurant
(Accommodation has been reserved for pilgrims in Le Boeuf Couronne, located a short distance from the Cathedral)

Tuesday 10th June 

9:00am Holy Mass for the Irish Chapter in the Crypt of Norte Dame de Chartres

For more information or to register with the Irish Chapter please contact John King or Katie O'Driscoll or chapitrestpatrick@gmail.com

The 32nd Paris to Chartres Pilgrimage, 7-9 June 2014

The Chartres Pilgrimage is a three-day walk from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Chartres, a city south-west of Paris.

Pilgrimage to Chartres is a tradition that reaches back into the depths of history. The pagans venerated the Virgo Paritura or Virgin giving birth to a God; the Christians took that to be a dim prefiguring of Our Blessed Lady and built successive Churches and then Cathedrals on the site of the current Cathedral in Chartres.

The present pilgrimage, which originated in the 12th century,  was revived in 1983 after nearly a century of neglect, and draws a crowd of upwards of 12,000 pilgrims from over 30 countries for three days of prayer and penance.

Pilgrims are organised into groups of 20-60 people. Each group is under the patronage of a saint and referred to as a 'chapter'. Chapters are led by laymen, who organise the chapter, meditations, rosary, and prayers. Chaplains, priests and religious accompany the pilgrims as they walk, hearing confession and teaching.
The Mass is celebrated every day according to the Roman Missal of Pope John XXIII. The liturgy is the traditional Latin one, stressing the universal character of the holy Mass.

Pilgrims walk through the streets of Paris, the countryside, and finally the city of Chartres. Pilgrims walk from the early morning until the evening. The terrain can be muddy, rocky, and demanding, but the rewards of such a penitential exercise are eternal.

Pilgrims sleep at campsites, equipped with basic wash facilities and collective tents. The pilgrimage organisers, Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, provide bread and water at intervals during the walk. Pilgrims bring additional food with them for each day. Weather varies during the three days, and pilgrims must prepare accordingly. For more information see: What to bring


The Irish Chapter, under the patronage of St Patrick, has taken part in the pilgrimage since
1998. As well as pilgrims from all over Ireland, we welcome people from other countries
who wish to walk with us.

To register with the Irish Chapter or for more information regarding prices please contact John King or for general information about the pilgrimage contact  Katie O'Driscoll or chapitrestpatrick@gmail.com

The pilgrimage takes place from the 7th to the 9th of June 2014. The Irish pilgrimage is from the 6th to the 10th of June.