The Catholic Weekly 10 May 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 12 10, May, 2020 FEATURE T housands of young Catholics from all over the world, walk- ing, laughing, pray- ing together, carrying ban- ners, singing patriotic hymns, chattering in a myriad of lan- guages. Long treks in unfamiliar territory, sharing stories, ex- periences and often exhaus- tion. To many veterans of World Youth Days, this is a familiar scene. Yet if you mention World Youth Day to this crowd, you could be met with a confused silence. Many of these faithful, pas- sionate young Catholics seem to have never even heard of it. These are the traditional Catholics of the Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage, an annual three- day walk from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres, a distance of ap- proximately 60 miles or 96.5 kilometres. Pilgrims begin their first day with a 6am Latin Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, fol- lowed by three long days of walking and camping until the exhausted group collapses – sometimes literally – on the steps of Chartres Cathedral. If you make it inside either ¾ ¾ Bridget Curran Cathedral you were one of the lucky ones; the crowds are in- tense. Also known as the Pen- tecost pilgrimage from No- tre-Dame de Paris to No- tre-Dame de Chartres, the event coincides with the Feast of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter Sunday. Falling in May in 2018 the days were sunny and warm – but the nights were freezing. The terrain of the pilgrim- age itself is as varied and love- ly as one might imagine. Dawn breaks over the ele- gant, historic architecture of the central tourist district of Paris on day one as pilgrims commence their long walk with beginners’ enthusiasm. Parisians, no doubt very used to strange peoplemarch- ing around their city with signs, hardly seem to notice the crowds of praying youth overtaking their streets. The scenery gradually evolves into more industrial outer sub- urbs, interspersed with un- expectedly large, leafy public parks and suburban homes, and then, almost suddenly, bursts of green as the vista opens into sprawling farms and fields, broken up by the odd freeway crossing and tiny village. The participants are large- ly traditional rite Catholics who gather from all over the world, divided into “chap- ters” according to nationality or region, with at least one Chaplain to dispense the sac- raments and offer spiritual direction. The smallest group I en- countered was the Welsh chapter, a new group that consisted of four enthusias- tic, (and wonderfully patriot- ic) young people, only one of whom actually lived in Wales. While the pilgrimage isn’t explicitly aimed at the young, the demanding nature of the experience (three full days of walking, often from dawn un- til dusk, and sleeping in basic tents) means only the fittest, most adventurous kinds at- tempt it. According to the official website, the Paris-Chartres pilgrimage originated in the 12th century. It was nice to imagine we were following a medieval path, and it added to the sense of heritage that came with the Latin rite – although the cynic in me wondered if either was as ancient as was implied. The atmosphere was joyful and imbuedwith a deep sense of piety. Habited figures were every- where, sitting or standing by the road, purple stoles around their necks, poised and ready to offer Confession to penitent pilgrims. On day two, Mass was cel- ebrated in a great field. Lunch was first, and a booming At breakfast, hot chocolate, black coffee and more baguettes were dispensed, along with small takeaway packets of jam. I stuffed my backpack with these provisions and lived largely on baguette and jam for three days.” Cardinal Robert Sarah blesses and welcomes pilgrims to the Pilgrimage camp site on day two. PHOTOS: BRIDGET CURRAN Tired, thirsty and very with your spirit In 2018, Australian film producer Bridget Curran walked from Paris to Chartres on a pilgrimage that’s growing from strength to strength every year and attracts thousands. The usual participants are young and devoted to the Latin Mass. They also eat a lot of baguettes, jam and (presumably) tomato soup