French Relics: the Virgin's Veil, the Crown of Thorns, and Saints' Bodies

In both Chartres and Paris, relics loom large!

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres boasts the veil said to be worn by Mary at the birth of Christ. Originally from Constantinople, the veil was offered to Chartres by Charlemagne in 876.  It is considered a major relic of Christ, since it would have touched the child Jesus. It is displayed in a separate chapel, and the color is a grey-blue.  Because the veil was such a draw for the early Christians and many traveled  to see it, the Cathedral was able to survive.

Following an early dinner at 5 PM, we left Chartres, boarded our bus (driven by Angelique, our feisty, French-speaking driver from Normandy), and headed to Paris.  What a sight to drive along the Seine with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower for several miles! We settled into the Holiday Inn Express with large, comfortable beds, lovely, fluffy bath towels, a TV, a bountiful breakfast, and a private bath in each room! These comfortable accommodations were in a convenient, central location for the remainder of our pilgrimage that would take place in Paris.

On Thursday, May 28, our pilgrim group set out for the Cathedral of  Notre Dame de Paris, seat of the Archdiocese of Paris.  Meeting us there were Holy Cross priests Kevin Grove (whose writings we had read during our preparation meetings) and Greg Haake, both of whom are completing their doctoral studies in Paris, and both who will be joining the faculty of the University of Notre Dame this fall 2015! Fathers Kevin and Greg chimed in regularly as tour guides, and their familiarity with Paris was a boon!

The Cathedral is among the largest and most well known churches in the world. It was completed in 1345. In a small back chapel is housed the Crown of Thorns said to be worn by Christ. Some of us paid 5 euros to enter the reliquary of the cathedral treasury expecting the Crown to be displayed there and saw, instead, the large gold monstrance type container which is used to display the Crown on Fridays during Lent!

About a 20 minute walk from the Cathedral is Paris' famous Church of Saint Sulpice where Fr. Moreau was sent soon after his ordination to learn to be a seminary formator.  The Sulpicians were recognized for their expertise in this area! It was the Sulpician priest, Gabriel Mollevaut, who would serve as Moreau's spiritual director for the next 20 years!

Next we walked to the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal attached to the convent of the Daughters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul and Saint Louis de Marillac.  Fr. John Deriso needed to return to Le Mans for the evening, so Fr. Greg Haake accompanied our group for this part of the pilgrimage.  The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal is the site of three apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a young nun ,Saint Catherine Laboure, in about 1815, which led to a new popular devotion throughout the Catholic Church, the wearing of the Miraculous Medal.  Saint Catherine Laboure's body is displayed in the front of the chapel under glass as it was found not to be decomposed when it was unearthed for her beautification!

Finally, a brief walk from the Chapel led us to the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul who exemplified many of the principles of the French School of Spirituality.  In a letter to Father Moreau, Farther Mollevaut, his spiritual ldirector wrote: "You will have everything, the day you take St. Vincent de Paul as your model." The body of St. Vincent de Paul, who died in 1680, was found mostly intact 52 years after his death.

This deep immersion into French culture and spirituality, relics and devotions, leads me to reflect on our students and their spirituality. Our American culture does not espouse (or house) relics of such stated significance as we witnessed in France,  Our students' spirituality appears to be explained by many writers in terms of their social and emotional development in North American ways of thinking and being. We will need to find ways of explaining Moreau to our students in terms that appeal to their American ways of understanding, valuing, and  appreciating!

Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres

Today was our final morning in Le Mans. We awoke to a beautiful, sun drenched day and set out early for Chartres. Chartres is an ancient city in north-central France known for its breathtaking cathedral.

As our bus climbed over the beautiful hills of the French countryside, the cathedral came into view in the distance. It was an absolutely stunning sight to behold. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres shone radiantly in the sun. With it's awe inspiring facade and intricate carvings, the cathedral drew our eyes and hearts heaven ward.

We celebrated Mass in the crypt of the cathedral, known as "Our Lady Under Ground". Fr. John De Riso, C.S.C. presided and reminded us of Father Moreau's unique connection to the cathedral. Father Moreau made a special pilgrimage to the cathedral on foot in order to place his priestly ministry under the protection of the Blessed Virgin. Our Mass concluded with "The Servant Song," reminding us of our own pilgrim journeys and the journeys of so many who came before us and the many who will come after us.

It was immensely beautiful to pray and celebrate Mass in a space where so many pilgrims have prayed before. The crypt has been an important place of prayer for countless women and men over the last thousand years. Some of those people include: St. Vincent de Paul, St. Francis de Sales, and our own Blessed Basil Moreau.

After Mass, we took a guided tour of the Cathedral. We heard many beautiful stories about the cathedral's history And efforts to rebuild it after the destruction of wars throughout the centuries.

We also had the opportunity to see some of the important pilgrimage sites within the cathedral including the Veil of the Virgin Mary.

After the tour, some in our group scaled the bell tower to take in the overhead views of Chartres. This was followed by an opportunity for prayer and reflection. In the shadow of the cathedral, near a picturesque courtyard, we discussed the ways in which the day had moved us and how the places and stories we encountered apply to our work in Student Affairs.

We concluded the day by building fellowship over a delicious meal. After dinner, we departed from Chartres for Paris.

The opportunity to experience the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres was truly unforgettable. In following Moreau's footsteps we were reminded of how important it is to trust in God and to work toward the vision of Christian family that Father Moreau spoke of.

Today we journeyed from Le Mans, where Holy Cross began, to Chartres, where a newly ordained Basil Moreau placed his priestly ministry under the protection of Mary, Notre Dame. It was such a grace filled opportunity to travel the path where Moreau's vision for the Holy Cross family was formed. Our understanding of Moreau's life and vision of Holy Cross family will always serve as an inspiration for how we can continue to build up the Notre Dame family.

Journeying beyond Le Mans

Today we ventured through the rolling hills of the French countryside where little farms with livestock dotted the landscape. We arrived in the little town of Ahuille, the hometown of Father Sorin, the founder of the University of Notre Dame.

We moved toward the church to learn more about Fr. Sorin's life--what compelled this young man to leave his country of birth in order to live out the mission that Father Moreau had set forth? While the church in town was not original to Fr. Sorin,  we celebrated Mass with some of the parishioners after viewing a picture celebrating Fr. Sorin's jubilee. Who knew that Main Building once had fountains next to the staircases? The homily was offered today by Father Bill who encouraged us to to be like Fathers Moreau and Sorin as well as the patron saint of today, Philip of  Neri--to have courage to give up our possessions, and to offer ourselves generously so that like Christ the love of God can be experienced by all.

While children raced around Ahuille on a scavenger hunt, we did a "hustle hike" to "Chateau de La Roche," viewing the home where Fr. Sorin lived out his childhood.  In comparison to the humble abode of Fr. Moreau, Fr. Sorin's home was on top of hill that overlooked French pastures that his family probably owned. There was a servant's house nearby and a large fenced in courtyard surrounding the majestic home. We were struck by the contrast between these men's early lives but also inspired by their vision for the Congregation of Holy Cross to flourish beyond the local communities.

Our last stop of the day was to the Benedictine monastery, Saint Peter's Abbey also known as Solesmes. We celebrated Vespers with glorious Gregorian chants filling the air. Father John told us about the ties of friendship between Solesmes and Holy Cross that have existed since the time of Father Moreau.

As I reflect upon the day, I realize that the spirit of friendship resonated throughout all we did-in the locations we visited, the men we talked about and also in the conversations we had as pilgrims traveling together. The topics varied but each revealed the importance of forming strong relationships with God and others throughout one's faith journey. We even had a lively discussion where we acknowledged that each vocation, even single life, requires sacrifices. So while our bus trip ended with us sharing ideas on student leadership, it became clear to me that like Father Sorin, we too are on a journey with the priests, brothers and sisters of Holy Cross to bring the vision of Moreau to fruition.

Vision

We began day three of our pilgrimage at Holy Cross Cemetery located in a residential neighborhood atop a hill overlooking the city of Le Mans. Members of the religious family of Holy Cross are interred at the cemetery, along will Sainte-Croix community members.  Father Moreau was originally buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in 1873.  His body was later moved to the Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix.  The cemetery also contains the remains of Moreau's family, Mother Mary of the Seven Dolors (first Superior General of the Marianties of Holy Cross).  A list of French brothers and fathers whom are not interred in the cemetery are listed, including Fr. Sorin. 

We journeyed further up the hill to the Solitude of the Savior, the first novitiate of the priests of Holy Cross.  We had an opportunity to visit Father Moreau's quarters and a small museum that houses relics including Fr. Moreau's chalice.  We also had an opportunity to meet a few sisters of the Marianites of the Holy Cross.

We then ventured to Laigne-en-Belin, the town where Fr. Moreau was born.  Mass with local parishioners was a highlight of the day.  We were able to gain greater perspective on Fr. Moreau's humble beginnings.

As the group processed the day and the larger journey, the theme of vision surfaced repeatedly.  The sites we have visited remind us that Fr. Moreau and others had the courage to move forward on visions that they knew they may not personally see to fruition. That's not so different from the work we do in Student Affairs at Notre Dame.  We may not be updating cathedrals, but we are forming men and women of faith.  We know that we may never see the full development of our students yet we continue to work every day to challenge them to their best selves.  This pilgrimage has already incited a tremendous amount of reflection which holds the promise of new vision for the hope we can bring to the Notre Dame family.

Tour de Mans - Pentecost Sunday in Le Mans

Part 1 - A walk through our day - touring Le Mans

Come Holy Spirit!  On the feast of Pentecost (though the French celebrated its national holiday of Pentecost on Monday), the Spirit was indeed with us.  It was a grace-filled day with many highlights, of which I will offer a few:

Some of us began our day by heading off to the market that lies in the shadow of the tremendous Cathedral of Le Mans.  

 

Cafe au lait and pain au chocolat (Chocolate Croissant!) - with a beautiful view no less.

It was a lot of fun to walk around and smell the wonderful food, see the beautiful plants, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and just watch people gather goods for their tables.

We took the long route to Notre Dame de Sainte-Croix, passing through a couple parks on the way to celebrate Mass.

For me, the most touching moment of the day came when our fellow pilgrims, Fr. Pete and Fr. Bill got to concelebrate mass at their conventual church (that is, the church where their congregation was founded) alongside two of their fellow Holy Cross priests (Fr. John DeRiso - Rector of the shrine and master of ceremonies for our pilgrimage, and Fr. Gregoir, pastor of the parish).

What a privilege it has been to journey along with these men as we all grow to know deeper the life of Blessed Basil Moreau.

After mass, the parishioners of Notre Dame de Sainte-Croix were amazingly hopsitable to us and had a little reception.  There were many different traditional French foods to try out and some Coca-Cola and orange juice to drink.

And, that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came down to hopsitality, because there were 8 families that welcomed us into their home for lunch.  The group I was with didn't have very much French knowledge and the couple who welcomed had minimal English, so we had to rely on patience, charity, the good will of our hosts, and occasionally some Google Translate to communicate with them. 

Little Ascot (dog) was a fun little addition to our party!  

It proved quite a wonderful experience though, getting to know a family and learning about them and their children and exchanging thoughts on everything from politics to sports.  They were so gracious to explain to us many of the questions that we had as well as get to know us better, even when we didn't quite know how to describe what our jobs were in French.  

After such a wonderful morning and afternoon, our evening wasn't too shabby either.  We went back to the Old City, near the Cathedral and explored the Cathedral, where Basil would have spent some time being a priest in the diocese.  It is an incredibly old building with a lot of history.  The most remarkable feature for me was to see the differences in the Cathedral as you moved from back to front.  It was like a history book unfolding before you as you moved along.  This is because when additions were made to the Cathedral, they didn't go back and change everything to look like the new style.  So, for instance, as you walked forward there was a point where you could see the change from a pre-gothic style, to a gothic style.  The ceiling just all of a sudden skyed far higher than the part you had been walking in.

We then took a walk around the old city (shocker - the part of the city that has been around the longest).  This area contained some of the most unique residences I have ever seen.  It was like being in a movie set for a piece portraying the 1500s.  Finally, we had a chance ot sit down and have a wonderful supper overlooking the Place de Jacobins and the Cathedral.

This brief synopsis of our day didn't come anywhere near to doing justice to our day, but hopefully you have found it entertaining.

Part 2 - A reflection

I couldn't just simply walk through this day and not reflect a little on the impact of this trip so far.  We have seen much, walked much, and had an incredible number of unforgettable experiences.  But, I think the best part has been being on pilgrimage as a group.  We come together from different backgrounds, doing work with students in a variety of ways.  Each in our own way trying to help live out the mission of Basil Moreau.  We are trying to prepare citizens for heaven, to spread the Gospel of Christ, primarily through educating the minds and the hearts of these students.  To walk these paths, to sing together, to pray together, to joke with one another, to learn together makes all the difference.  In the work that we are called to do, the work which ultimately has a direct connection to Moreau, is only done well when it is done together.  The Holy Family was an important touch point for Moreau.  In my mind, those relationships between Jesus, Mary, and Joseph made them each better able to carry out the will of God.  Taking Moreau's focus on the model of the Holy Family as our focus in the work that we do will only do the same.  And, it is ultimately the Spirit that connects us all together, one another as pilgrims on a journey to Le Mans, as pilgrims on the ultimate journey to the heavenly Jerusalem, and connecting us with God and Jesus.  I pray that this Spirit that we celebrate particularly on Pentecost may continue to be among us here and to guide us as we continue on our journey.  May the fruits fo this Spirit help us to bring what we have learned and who we have become back with us to Notre Dame.  

Blessed Basil Moreau, pray for us!  

j+m+j

A Homecoming

It is hard to believe that just a few days ago we all gathered beneath the golden dome, preparing to start this grand adventure. In such a short time, it feels as if we have already experienced so much -- adventures of forgotten passports, broken zippers, lost credit cards, found credit cards, Yuker battles and delayed flights. There have been moments of laughter as we struggle through language differences and told stories over crepes filled with chocolate, pears and salted butter caramel sauce. In these past few days, however, I find that the most palpable and real emotion for me is gratitude. Yesterday, after arriving in Le Mans, we were able to travel to visit the Shrine of Basil Moreau.  In talks before this trip, we have learned that the Congregacion de Sainte Croix is a Congregation that formed around the community of Holy Cross-- that it was formed first to serve this local community. Walking up to the Shrine, the reality of this mission is clear. The Shrine is a simple place, it is located between buildings, situated in a neighborhood. Standing outside, Fr. John explains that it is not only the resting place for Fr. Moreau but that it is also a functioning parish, A parish that serves this local community still today. As Fr. John gives us the history of the church itself and how it was part of the vision of Fr. Moreau, he mentions that this church is meant to be a home to all members of Holy Cross--Priests, Brothers and Sisters alike. He explains that Fr. Moreau's vision was that this church would be a central place where all of those out on the missions and living their different ministries could come to find rest and welcome. I know that this vision was meant for the consecrated Holy Cross, for those who have vowed their life to this Order, but as I stepped into this Church alongside so many people who have given their life and talents to the service of Notre Dame and the work of Holy Cross, I feel a part of this story must  apply to us as well. 

When we walked through the entrance, our eyes were immediately drawn up towards the beautiful windows that filled the space. As you look forward you see the simple, yet powerful altar surrounded by windows of the seven sufferings of Mary--- it is a space that invites us to enter deeper into the suffering of Christ on the cross and into the heart of the one who loved Him most. While that invitation is powerful enough, I am taken aback by the windows that fill the cross-section. These windows were installed in the 1940's and show the work of Holy Cross. The four panels show Sisters and Brothers working the missions, the Oratory to St. Joseph in Canada and finally a panel of a Golden dome with students in graduation caps and a beautiful image of Our Lady shining light down upon them all. Images of the past week on campus and the recent graduates flood through my own mind. Even though we had learned of this window and were prepared to see it, I am still overcome that somewhere in a little street in France, there was a story that was once started hundreds of years ago, that includes these students and our daily work and ministry. As I reflect on my own call and vocation to living this mission there is a comfort in knowing that this story is bigger, this work is bigger and that there are so many who have lived it before me. There is also a challenge as I think of all of those whose steps have gone before, however. As we continue to learn more about Fr. Moreau, we learn that his life was filled with great joy and also with great pain and sacrifice. He is a man who dedicated his life and work to a vision and a mission that did not give him tangible results but instead challenged him to rely on providence and hope. Yes there is comfort in knowing we are not alone, but there is no guarantee that this business of forming people into citizens for heaven will reveal immediate results or even show fruits that I can see. I have no answers for those two thoughts, but as I look around me on this trip and think back to all of those at home, I find comfort in not just the largeness of this story, but also the company on the journey.

As I continue to hold these thoughts and prayers in tension, I return to the primary feeling these past few days -- gratitude. Gratitude for this work, but also gratitude for the many men and women who have lived it before us. As we sat at the foot of Moreau's tomb, we named in prayer all members of Holy Cross that we wanted to lift up in prayers of gratitude. The first named was Fr. Ted, followed by rectors, pastors of parishes, professors, friends, formators and brothers. Gratitude. Gratitude for those who have shared this mission. Gratitude for the community that carries it forward today and gratitude for this incredible opportunity to grow deeper with one another and move further into the mystery of this call for each of us.

Having just returned from a wonderfully informative tour by Fr. Peter Rocca CSC about the Basilica's stained glass windows (from Le Mans), I am grateful for how well prepared our group of pilgrims has been by Profs. Larry Cunningham and David Clairmont, as well as Allie Greene, Fr. Pat Reidy, CSC, and Brett Perkins.  Our "lunch and learns" have created inspiration and excitement for our trip ahead, as well as some knowledge about the early founders of the Holy Cross Congregation!
May we all have a good journey!