Paris
Paris: A Beloved Heritage of Faith and Catholic Culture
Paris is home to some of the most magnificent churches in the world. At Rue du Bac, Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure and you can pray before the incorrupt remains of St. Catherine and the heart of St. Vincent de Paul.
The Church of Rue de Bac, by jean-louis Zimmermann from Moulins, FRANCE [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Pray with the Saints
Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:
“Human beings seek their way in the visible world and, through the visible world, they seek the unseen world at every stage of their spiritual journey.”
#catholicpassportparis
Chartres
What to See
Architecture that Lifts the Heart to Heaven
Chartres has been a place of pilgrimage since the middle ages. The architecture speaks so deeply of the faith of the people who invested in this beautiful house of God.
Stained glass windows from the Chartres Cathedral
Pray with the Saints
Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:
“Chartres is one of those privileged places of Europe where the art and the technique of the builders translate and stimulate the faith of the Christian people... It remains a signal for the men of this time. Indeed, the pilgrimage to Chartres... allows many to live a remarkable spiritual experience, strengthening their faith and discovering with their fellow travelers the face of Christ.”
#catholicpassportchartres
Alençon
What to See
- Sanctuaire d'Alençon
- The House of Martin Family
- Basilica of Notre-Dame d'Alençon (Place of the wedding of Louis and Zelie Martin and baptism of Thérèse.)
A Holy Marriage and a Holy Family
Alençon was the home of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin and their children. The place where Thérèse and her four sisters were born is now a chapel where this saintly family is honored.
The house where St. Therese was born, by Pierre-Yves Emile [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Pray with the Saints
Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:
“The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.”
#catholicpassportalencon
Lisieux
The 'Missionary' Hidden in the Heart of the Church
Thérèse and her family moved to Lisieux after the death of her mother when she was 4 years old. She was taught by the Benedictine Nuns of Lisieux. In 1888 she joined her older sisters at the Carmel of Lisieux. She entered eternal life on September 30, 1897 with "My God..., I love you!" as the final words on her lips.
From the Roman Missal - Collect of Saint Thérèse
O God, who open Your Kingdom
to those who are humble and to little ones,
lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Thérèse,
so that through her intercession
we may see your eternal glory revealed.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
The Basilica of St. Thérèse
Pray with the Saints
Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:
“Thérèse offers a mature synthesis of Christian spirituality: she combines theology and the spiritual life; she expresses herself with strength and authority, with a great ability to persuade and communicate.”