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September 2007
Pilgrimage to France - 2007
Travel Chronicles from Sister Sheila Anne Spooner
Dear Sisters and Friends
September 7, 2007
What a pleasure to wake up this morning to the rising sun shining on the mountains and light low clouds hanging over them. After breakfast, we got on the bus and Jacky drove us to the parking area opposite the Annecy Motherhouse. We proceeded to the door which led us into "La Gallerie". This room had been a basement but Francis de Sales made it into a chapel when he received Jane Frances de Chantal and 2 of her companions on June 30, 1610 as the first members of the Visitation order - the fist order of nuns who were not cloistered but who were to go out to visit the sick and the dying and the poor. Standing beside the door which has existed for so many centuries and realizing who had stood there over this time is a bit mind boggling. From the chapel, we proceeded to the "Gallerie" so called because it was a long hallway extending over the length of the building. The first 2 rooms contains artifacts of the period. The third is the novitiate & the fourth is Jeanne's bedroom which she shared with the others. The order grew quickly and Jeanne had the present motherhouse built to accommodate the influx. She travelled a great deal setting up other houses dedicated to working among the people.
We then went to visit the chapel which is still in use. It is quite simple but the atmosphere is 1 of quiet devotion. Here we were joined by Sister Leonie, the General Superior for the last 16 years and who will step down this weekend when the new Leadership Team is installed. We were also joined by Sister Ellen from Ireland who has been on the outgoing Leadership Team. When our tour ended, we were invited into the dining room for juice and cookies where our conversations continued.
We had a free afternoon today and many helped the economy of Annecy through various purchases while others enjoyed walking around and seing the sites in this beautiful location. Mass is going to be celebrated in a few minutes so I will end this message. Everyone has been praying for those at home and we know you are praying for us.
September 8, 2007
Today started off very cloudy. Jacky told us that it was due to France losing the world rugby game to Argentina 17 to 15. As they say in French,they are "desole" (you need a grave accent on both "e"s) and that's the reason for the grey skies. We left Annecy at 9:00 a.m. and began our trip.
The country side with its mountains and pastoral scenes is beautiful. Although we could not visit the Sisters in Chambery, we went into the city to see the elephant fountain. It has 4 elephants facing east, south, west and north with water coming out of their trunks. However, they are without backsides. The fountain commemorates the passage of Hannibal et al in ??? b.c. or a.d. - whichever!
We arrived in Lyon around 11 and found our way to our accommodations at Centre Jean Bosco - a conference centre run by the Salesians. Our rooms are very simple but comfortable. We even have a 3 piece en suite. After lunch, which is the big meal of the day, we set off to the Tourist Bureau to pick up our tour guide. Claude proved to be an excellent guide. She knew her stuff and was very attentive to the group. We saw the Roman theatres which I can almost see from my window, remnants of the Roman aqueducts, the old city with its intriging streets and buildings, and the Cathedral where the Bishop of Lyon has been primate for about 2,000 years. We also visited a silk maker's shop. Lyon had over 3,000 silk makers in the 15th century but today there are only 10. However, they really know their stuff and are in great demand to refurbish church vestments as well as produce scarves, ties, table runners, etc.
Following our tour, we got back through heavy traffic - it took 45 minutes using the bus & streets when we probably could have been back in 15 minutes had we taken the funiculaire and walked 300 meters. Before supper, we had a social 1/2 hour during which we were served wine or kirsh or juice. Of course wine is always supplied for dinner and supper. Although house wine is served, it is always good.
As it has been a full day for me I am going to bed in preparation for tomorrow's activities.
I trust all is well at home. Let us continue to pray for what has so far, been an uneventful, i.e., accident free trip.
Prayers to all.
September 9, 2007
Would you believe it is another sunny warm fall day here in Lyon? We sure have been blessed with good weather.
This morning, most of us attended the 9:30 Mass at the Basilica, abut a 5 minute walk from the Centre. We return there at 1:30 for a guided tour. It really is magnificent with the four towers and the gold statue of Mary high above the old city. The architecture is a wonderful mix of Byzantine, Roman, Gothic and Baroque styles with huge mosaics on the outer walls depicting various events since Lyon was founded over 2,000 years ago. Mind you, the artists had to be pretty choosy as to which events to include.
After our tour we will board the bus to attend evening prayer with the Taize community in Taize about a 2 hour drive. As this hasn't taken place yet, I will continue with another letter tomorrow.
I have received the messages regarding Sister Harris and Ms Haight and have passed them on.
So, until tomorrow, or as is said here "a demain".
We walked over to Fourviere to meet our guide, Marie Louise, at 1:30. Although she had, would you guess, a French accent, she spoke English very well. Unfortunately, the small chapel in which Mother St. John worshipped is being renovated so we couldn't see it. The tour started with the magnificent view of the old city and the rivers Saone and Rhone. This basilica was built a little over a 100 years ago and so is a mere child compared to other churches in Lyon. Because it is a basilica, there are no weddings, baptisms or funerals conducted in it.
We began our tour in the lower church dedicated to Joseph and then proceeded to the very ornate upper church dedicated to Mary. Our tour ended with an explanation of the 6 mosaics which line the walls and speak of the history of Lyon. At 3:30 we boarded the bus to go to Taize for evening prayer. We arrived around 5:30 to learn that the gift shop was closed because the Ursuline Sisters who look after it were celebrating a vow ceremony and night prayer started at 8:30. I went to the welcome office and a very nice young man, Joachim from Barcelona, greeted me. He offered to show us a short video about Taize and its origins so I took him up on it. Then he brought Brother Emile to chat with us. Would you believe that Emile comes from Timmins ON, my home town. I had never met him as he is much younger than I. Then we wandered around the grounds and found places to eat our bag lunch provided by Jean Bosco.
When it came time to join night prayer, we entered the large chapel and sat on the steps. There were at least 300 people of which 250 were quite young. It was a moving experience to be in this very quiet, reverent place with so many. The formal prayer ended at 9:15 and we headed back to our bus for the return trip. We were back at 11:15 and everyone headed to bed. I will fill you in on Monday's activities later tonight.
Keep us in your prayers as we do in ours.
September 10, 2007
Would you believe? Another warm sunny day!
This morning, Sister Irenee Couvert, a CSJ of Lyon, joined us for the day. I am sure prior pilgrims will remember her. She led us as walked over to the cemetery, about 4 blocks away, to visit Mother St. John's burial site. We bought 6 different coloured roses and each Congregation placed 1 on the grave site as they recalled their deceased Sisters, family members & benefactors. We then added our living Sisters and our Leadership Teams. Following the singing of a couple hymns we stood around in private prayer.
We had a hour before dinner, so some went shopping while others wandered around. Sister Irenee joined us for dinner and we had a choice of rabbit or blood sausage. The rabbit was good!
This afternoon, we drove to the Lyon Motherhouse. Sister Irenee told 13 about the chapel and the meaning of the many frescoes. The architect for Fourviere basilica designed this chapel as well. About an hour later, we switched with the other 13 to visit the developing space about our origins and history. Sister Janet Gagnon, General Superior of the Lyon congregation and an American from Maine, came to greet us but she had to leave for an appointment.
My highlights of the visit here are the letters that were written by Mother St. John, the lifesized statue of her by Sister Mary Southard of the US, and her bedroom. Sister Mary of the Holy Spirit told us that many of the items depict the period and were not originals.
After we had been served juice and cookies, we returned to Centre Jean Bosco for supper after which we will review our pilgrimage so far.
Tomorrow we are off to LePuy en Velay - the town of many challenges and thousands of stairs made necessary by the fact that it is built on extinct volcanoes.
Until next time, keep us in prayer as we do for you.
September 11, 2007
We woke up to another sunny day with a few clouds. We boarded our bus at 9:00 a.m. on the way to Monistrol sur Loire. Shortly after we were out of Lyon, the autoroute traffic was suddendly moving very slowly. Jacky exited and took another 2 lane highway that paralleled the main highway but was not as congested. He told me there had been an accident which was the cause of the hold up. I soon realized that we would be late for our visit at Monistrol so I phoned them and explained the situation. We arrived at the convent at 11:10 when we were origionally to arrive at 10:30. We spent an hour and a 15 minutes conversing with Sister. She showed us the stone which Msgr. Galard asked Mother St. John to bless with him. It had been on the outside wall of the hospital which the Sisters owned and operated. After the French revolution, the hospital became property of the state. The building was demolished and then rebuilt by the state. The corner stone was preserved and today is part of the outside wall of the chapel in their retirement home. There are 19 retired Sisters living there ranging in age from 70 to 90. If they can no longer look after themselves with minimal help and require nursing care, they are transferred to LePuy and the Motherhouse infirmary. Years ago the Sisters were involved in health care and education.
We left the Sisters in Monistrol to have dinner at a restaurant not too far away. We had escargots in a creamy garlic sauce on puff pastry, antelope & gravy with potatoes mixed with cream and cheese and veggies followed by a very soft white cheese with lots of white sugar on it. Of course the usual red house wine and water were served followed by espresso coffee.
Back on the bus - We drove about 7 km to Bas-en-Basset. Mother St. John was born here but no one knows where the house had been. The Sisters here were very gracious and we had a lively conversation about the origns of the Institute - the fusion of 7 small congregations to form a completely new congregation with a new constitution and papal approval. The Council in their wisdom located themselves away from any otherhouse so as to avoid any signs of favoritism.
As we waited for our bus, we met an elderly woman who said she was Mother St. John's niece about 6 generations back. She had done some research on the family with help from the Sisters who were in Bas-en-Basset years ago. We had a picture of Mother St. John and this woman certainly had the Fontbonne facial characteristics.
We boarded the bus again to drive to LePuy which took about an hour. When we arrived, Sister Mary Diesbourg of London awaited us in the lobby of the Ibis Hotel. She was very happy to meet the London pilgrims. After checking in, some rested, others went out to explore the town. Tonight we are having supper in the hotel dining room. I asked Claire, the receptionist whom I knew from our 2005 trip, for the menu - we will be served beef. Everyone is well and are praying for you as you are for us. Until tomorrow.
September 12, 2007
When I looked out this morning the sky was cloudy & the slight wind was quite cool. When it came time to leave, I had to add a sweatshirt to my clothing. By 10:30, the sun was out & it started to warm up for another gorgeous day. At 9:30, Martine arrived from the Tourist Bureau to guide us on our walking tour of old Puy. She has guided our 2001, 2005 trips and Pauline I were very happy to have her join us this morning.
We started off with an explanation of the location of Puy in the volcanic Central Massif area and its fortifications against marauders of the Middle Ages. We then began our climb up the rue des Tables to the Cathedral of Our Lady of France (134 steps the the entrance + 200 up the street). Romanesque in style it also shows various influences especially Bizantine ones. We also saw the fever stone, Notre Dame du Puy: the black Virgin, frescoes & paintings. There is a beautiful cross over the altar made of glass left over from the glass pyramid over the entrance to the Louvre in Paris. Origionally built in the 8th century, the church was enlarged in the 12th and renovated in the 19th. It is well worth the climb to see a magnificent church with so much meaning for Sisters of St. Joseph. Bishop de Maupas was bishop when we were founded in 1650. His name is engraved on the stone listing all the Bishops of Puy. Martine then showed us how to get to the statue of Our Lady France built atop a volcanic cone. It is made of 213 cannons melted down after the Crimean War. It was inaugurated Sept 12 1860, that is, 147 years ago today.
Leaving the Cathedral, we walked down some back streets to the Place du Martouret and saw the huge tree planted to commemorate the place of execution of our Sisters & others during the Revolution. Martine left us here and we scattered to find a restaurant for dinner and to spend the afternoon being a tourist. That's my report for today, so as they say here "a bientot".
September 13, 2007
I ran out of steam yesterday so am composing this Friday morning. Yes, we started the day in fog but the sun was out by 10:30 as usual. Our day began with a visit to St. Joseph's Chapel way up on the top of a volcanic cone. The caretaker saw us walking up the street and came to open the church, the chapel carved out of the volcano and the stairs leading up to the base of the statue of Joseph with Jesus in his arms. We certainly helped maintain this private oratory with all our purchases.
Around 11:30, we proceeded to St. Michel d'Aiguille, another chapel built on top of a volcanic cone. This time, I did not go to the top but opted to view a video on its history.
Those who visited both places were pleased that they had gone to the top of them.
Because we spent so much time at the chapels we only had an hour for lunch - it is the big meal of the day and takes 2 hours usually. After lunch, we walked to the Motherhouse to be greeted by S. Simone and S. Mary D. Simone took us to the archives and Mary was our kitchen guide. The Associates renewed their commitment in the kitchen. Mary had a prayer ready for al of us which was quite touching. It was really great to have the oportunity once again to stand on the holy ground with our first 6 Sisters! I always enjoy the visit tothe archives with the original documents on display and could spend lots of time there.
The City of Le Puy is celebrating medieval days. There are people in costume wandering the streets as well as minstrels and competitions taking place. There is an archery contest to crown the king/queen of archery called "Le Roi de l'Oiseau" It is all great fun.
Last night, 12 of us went to a Morrocan restaurant for a very wonderful meal that was not expensive but very delicious. We had a great time and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I must be off to join the others for our adventures today. Keep us in your prayers as we do in ours.
September 14, 2007
Once again I awoke to a foggy morning that cleared up by 10:30 as the sun burned it off.
We spent the day at the International Centre of the Sisters of St Joseph. Our first guest was Sister Therese Vacher, a member of the Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph. She is a wonderful researcher who has published 2 books about our history. She took us through a few of the Maxims to show us that they are a great source of spirituality. Even though the language is 17th century, the message is still relevant today. She urged us to read them and to see the threads that run through them.
Following dinner, we reassembled ad Sisters Mary Diesbourg, Josette and Sheila - the latter are form Erie Pennsylvania and LaGrange - explained the work they have been doing since the centre opened Oct. 15, 2004. The building had to be renovated before visitors could be accommodated and once these were done, the visitors - over 700 to date - began arrivng. Our afternoon concluded with a short prayer service.
Following a break which included French petit fours, we returned to the hotel and free tme in the evening.
Tomorrow, we are going to visit the lace making school and then are free to see the sites of LePuy and the medieval festival. Sunday, we leave for Clermont-Ferrand and depending on our arival time, I may or may not send another message.
We prayed for all of you once again and ask that you keep us in prayer too.
September 15, 2007
Saturday was another sunny warm day. Today, pilgrims were on their own to enjoy Le Puy and the festival. Hundreds of people were wandering the old city streets in authentic medieval period dress - seniors, families, children, teenagers. There were flag throwers, archers, marching bands, trumpets, small bag pipes and explosions. A full day of colour and pagentry. It was a wonderful day. Eight of us went to supper for a medieval feast of quiche & salad, duck & potatoes all complimented by apple tart with cinnamon ice cream - a dinner to thoroughly enjoy. It culminated with the collapse of the bench when 2 people sitting on the same side on 1 end got up & the other 2 slowly hit the ground - we laughed like fools! Everyone had a wonderful day & evening.
September 16, 2007
Guess what? The sun is shining upon us again and it is quite warm. Some attended Mass last evening at St. Laurent church while others walked up to Notre Dame de France (climbing the 300 steps again) this morning. Liturgies here are very joyous with good participation by the people. We had time to visit some of the shops for last minute purchases & a bite to eat before boarding the bus at 1:00 p.m. for Clermont-Ferrand.
Along the way, we travelled through the volcanic region of the Auvergne. The temperature outside rose to 29.9 degrees Celsius. We were oohing & aawing about the beauty of the region. We stopped in Billom to visit the church Fr. Medaille preached in just before he died there. The only problem was that we visited the wrong church first. BUT, we regrouped & soon found the former Jesuit College founded in 1555. From there we found St. Cerneuf church where, we believe, Medaille preached. We stayed about 30 minutes & then drove on to Gergovie plateau high above Clermont-Ferrand. This was the place where a very young Gaul led his troops in battle against Julius Ceasar. The Romans lost, probably because they had to climb a nearly vertical hill before reaching the plain high above. Probably Ceasar was not pleased with his troops.
As Jacky lives in Clermont-Ferrand, he drove through the streets to show us various highlights including the very large cathedral and the ramps used to test Michelin tires.
Upon arrival at the Hotel Ibis on the outskirts & settling in a bit, we went to dinner in the hotel restaurant. As many of us were somewhat tired, we went to bed early in order to be ready for the next leg of our trip. We continue to pray for you as we travel.
September 17, 2007
Well, it finally happened - yes, today it is raining but not very hard. We left Clermont-Ferrand at 9:30 a.m. bound for Paris. As we travelled we were crossing very flat ground and then within a short distance, we would be in the hills again. We arrived at the Novotel Hotel on the outskirts of Bourges around 11:30 where we were to have dinner at noon. It was made up of a salad plate of carrots, potato salad, celery root salad, and beets. The main course was noodles and beef with a gravy. Desert was a scoop of chocolate ice cream followed by an espresso coffee. The hotel even had the menu printed up with a colourful cover for us.
Following dinner, we hit the road for the 4 hour drive to Paris. When we arrived, Jacky took us on a short tour pointing out some of the major attractions - Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre, National Assembly, etc. We arrived at the Centre d'Accueil Adele Picot where we were met by Mme. Jeanne Brunel, the director. For those of you who stayed here in 2001 or 2003, the renovations are wonderful. Each room has a bed (which we had to make up), sink and a cupboard with excellent lighting. The bathrooms and showers are well lit and clean. The 10 who are sharing a double room have their own shower & toilet. Each floor has a small kitchen with a microwave, table, chairs & and some dishes & cutlery. The rooms are bright, the elevator is modern. The circular stairwells are about all that remains of the old building we knew. The other added feature is the location - within walking distance of the Montparnasse train station and the Latin Quarter.
The pilgrims divided themselves up into groups of 2 & 3 and ventured forth to find a place for dinner. Pauline & I found a restaurant nearby with a non-smoking area upstairs. We were a bit concerned as there were red table clothes, linen serviettes & various pieces of cutlery. We were very surprised when the menu came as the prices were quite reasonable. We both had a smoked salmon salad with 5 large pieces about 1" thick & 5" long that was delecious. Cost: 10€ each. Then it was back to Picot & bed.
We love Paris!!
September 18, 2007
The sun has returned but is accompanied by clouds & much cooler weather. After breakfast of baguette, butter, jelly & coffee, we were picked up by Jacky accompanied by a tourist guide. We left at 9:30 for a 3 hour tour. It included the usual tourist attractions, a lesson on how to use the Metro & tips about beggars & pickpockets. Jacky returned us to Adele Picot and we bid him a fond farewell accompanied by a gift, a good sized tip and a song composed by 1 of the pilgrims.
The afternoon was free and it did not take long for people to scatter. Pauline & I went off to discover how to use the Metro so that we can guide the group to the Miraculous Medal Chapel tomorrow and then the train station to get us the Chartres on Friday. We did a lot of walking and so I had a nap upon our return. I am going to find some pilgrims to join for supper & then it's off to bed. Please keep us in prayer asking that these last few days may continue to be incident free.
September 19, 2007
The morning started off a bit cloudy but the sun beat back the clouds and warmed our day for us. Yesterday afternoon was free and several took advantage to learn the intricacies of the Paris Metro. Once you catch on to the colour scheme and to discover what direction you want to follow, it's a breeze.
While some took off on their own this morning, others joined us for Mass at the chapel of the Miraculous Medal. As usual, the chapel was almost full. Five priests concelebrated. The presider had a beautiful tenor voice and led the singing. There was a group of Polish pilgrims present as well. Following Mass, the group split up and some went off to the Louvre while others went to the d'Orsay Museum of the impressionist artists. I began walking and ended up at Les Invalides, an army museum and hospital near the Arche de Triomphe. I did not try to walk cross the 12 lanes of maniacs driving various vehicles and the motorcycles weaving in & out.
As people returned you could hear rhe excitement in their voices as each described her adventures. A group of London Sisters met a lady they knew from London and everyone had a hard time believing they had encountered each other. It appears that everyone has had a most enjoyable time today. There is a trio taking the boat tour along the Seine this evening. I hear that the trip is beautiful with all the points of interest lit up in the night sky. Two are planning on taking the train to Versailles tomorrow afternoon & that should be interesting for them. Until tomorrow.
September 20, 2007
It has been another beautiful sunny and warm day in Paris. As today is the last day in Paris, many took advantage to visit churches, museums, stores and restaurants among other places. Others ventured off to Versailles to visit Louis XIV's opulent domicile.
Pauline guided another group to attend Mass at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal. After, she returned and we went to lunch and enjoyed French onion soup. We then took 4 different subway lines to get to a pet store that had about 2 dozen puppies on display. We asked if we could play with them and the owners said we could. There were spaniels, Yorkshire terriers, bulldogs, Jack Russells, cottons and of course a Westie. They were all about 6 to 8 weeks old and as cute and cuddly as only young puppies can be. It was fun for this dog lover.
A group gathered to have supper together at our residence. Some had purchased buns, cheese, fruit and wine which we shared. Last night we had thin crust pizzas. These get togethers give us a chance to compare notes and share experiences. That's about it for now. Tomorrow, we are off to Chartres. You are in our prayers.
September 21, 2007
Today is our last day in France & would you believe the sun is shining again & the temperature is around 23 degrees. We left at 7:40 a.m. on the #12 line to get to Montparnasse train station - one stop away. We arrived at the station at 8:05 and the train left track 18 at 8:15 bound for Chartres & all the litle towns in between. We arrived at 9:30 & immediately walked up to the cathedral. A few visited the gift shop while others drank in the beauty surrounding us. At 10, we were met by Malcolm Miller, a renowned medieval scholar who has published several books about the cathedral & its famous stained glass windows. The church itself goes back to the late 800's - that is not a typing error - and has been rebuilt 4 times over the centuries. As many know, the windows were teaching aids for a people who could neither read nor write. The windows are read from the bottom up and left to right. They tell many of the Old Testament stories as well as many significant events in the lives of Mary, Joseph & of course Jesus. Several of the windows are being cleaned which must be a never ending chore as there are so many. Mr. Miller's lecture was most interesting & the windows came alive as he spoke of them for an hour & a half.
We then wandered around and met at noon to be guided to a restaurant that Pauline & I had found. La Marigny had a small outdoor patio and the waitress reserved it for us. She said we could order anything from the menu and separate bills would be provided. The garden was very pleasant and we were able to enjoy each other's company without being overcome by cigarette smoke. Everyone enjoyed dinner and conversation very much. We gathered at the station for the return trip to Paris at 3:50. Upon arrival, a few went shopping, some bought cheese and fruit to share for supper while others had their last Parisian meal at a restaurant. Everyone was most positive about the day and the pilgrimage as a whole. It has been a prayerful yet fun filled experience filled with sunshine. I will send a last report tomorrow if I don't have an attack of Jet lag.
Love to everyone from the Pilgrims of 2007.
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