2024 Core Leader Pilgrimage to France
Day 4: Sunday, April 7, 2024
PILGRIMAGE MENU
Carcassonne to Le Puy en Velay
This morning we depart for Le Puy en Velay, across the impressive Millau Viaduct. Journeying northwards into the wild Cevennes Mountain range, we will join the Sisters for an inspiring pilgrimage walk in the footsteps of Fr. Medaille and St. Jean Francois Regis. The walk will be followed by a light lunch in the tiny rural hamlet of Pradelles. We will arrive at Le Puy in the early evening. Le Puy is a major gateway for the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage.
Hotel: Ibis Styles
Breakfast: Full breakfast at hotel
Lunch: Pradelle
Dinner: On your own
*Note: Rough terrain clothing; we will walk 2+ miles.
Detailed Agenda
6:30 AM
Breakfast
7:00 AM
Bags & Boarding
8:00 AM
Sharing of group dinner discussion
12:00 PM
Walking reflection followed by lunch
6:00 PM
Integration and exploration with dinner on your own
6:00 PM
Optional Liturgy
During your renewal time in Lourdes, you may want to view and experience some of the most visited sites.
Cathedral of Notre Dame du Puy
Le Puy-en-Velay’s most striking attraction is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy which forms the highest point of the city and dates chiefly from the first half of the 12th century. It rises from the foot of the Rocher Corneil. The façade, striped in courses of white sandstone and black volcanic breccia, is reached by a flight of sixty steps, and consists of three orders, the lowest composed of three high arcades opening into the porch, which extends beneath the first bays of the nave. Above it are three central windows that light the nave, and above them are three gables on the gable-end of the nave, flanked by two openwork-screening gables. The south transept doorway is sheltered by a Romanesque porch. Behind the choir rises a separate Romanesque bell-tower of seven stories.
Statue of Notre Dame de France
The iron statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking the town was designed by the French sculptor Jean-Marie Bonnassieux, and is made from 213 Russian cannons taken in the Siege of Sebastopol (1854–1855). It was presented to the town on September 12, 1860 in front of 120,000 people.
Chapel of St Michael d’Aiguilhe (Chapelle Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe)
St. Michael is a fascinating little pilgrimage chapel perched atop a needle (aiguilhe) of rock in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne. Jutting dramatically towards heaven, the rock needle has been a sacred place for thousands of years: a prehistoric dolmen was built there and the Romans dedicated it to Mercury before the Christians built a chapel to St. Michael… When the area was Christianized, the rock was consecrated to St. Michael the Archangel, who is the patron of many high places throughout Europe.
The Chapel of St. Michael was built by Bishop Godescalc and the deacon Trianus in 962. It was a simple shrine built on a central plan: a square sanctuary a tiny apsidole (a secondary apse) on each side. This original sanctuary and two of the apsidoles still survive today. The chapel attracted many pilgrims, especially since Le Puy was the starting point for one of the main routes to Santiago de Compostela.
In the 12th century, the chapel was significantly enlarged by adding a short nave west of the original sanctuary, an elliptical ambulatory, two side chapels, and a narthex with an upper gallery, a carved portal, and a bell tower. The 10th-century frescoes were repainted in the original style and more were added.
The bell tower fell down in 1275 and was not reconstructed until the 19th century. Removal of the plaster in the chapel in about 1850 revealed the magnificent 10th and 12th-century frescoes. A century later, in 1955, archaeologists discovered a treasure trove of sacred objects in the altar, which are now displayed behind an iron grate in the wall.
Statue of St. Joseph
An immense statue of St. Joseph in a shrine dedicated to “Joseph of Good Hope” in Espaly, a small neighboring town to Le Puy. It is almost as high as Notre Dame in Paris. The castle on this spot is the place where bishops of Le Puy would accommodate kings and other dignitaries who came to Le Puy on pilgrimage. It is said that as many as 7 popes and 20 kings visited this castle. The present castle-basilica was built in troubadour style typical of the 19th century. There is a lovely small chapel underneath the statue. The site is worth a visit to see the beautiful mosaics honoring St. Joseph and the Holy Family.
Santiago de Compostela
Each morning, pilgrims gather to be blessed before starting their journey to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The cathedral has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1998, as part of the “Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.” Le Puy is one of the four routes from France – and the most popular – that lead to Spain.
Area Map