Pilgrimage to Chartres

Annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres

Pilgrims enroute 2011

The Chartres pilgrimage (French: pèlerinage de Chartres), also known in French as the pèlerinage de Chrétienté (English: pilgrimage of Christendom), is an annual pilgrimage from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres occurring around the Christian feast of Pentecost, organized by Notre-Dame de Chrétienté (English: Our Lady of Christendom), a Catholic lay non-profit organization based in Versailles, France. The pilgrimage characteristically celebrates the Traditional Roman Rite.

Although the pilgrimage has existed since 1983, the organization was not founded until 1991. In 2007, the 25th anniversary of the pilgrimage, amid rumours of a forthcoming papal document favouring use of the 1962 Roman Missal – the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum was in fact published on 7 July of that year – there were nearly ten thousand pilgrims in Chartres on Pentecost Monday May 28 despite difficult weather conditions.[1]

There is also a pilgrimage in an opposite direction from Chartres to Paris called Pèlerinage de Tradition (Pilgrimage of Tradition) and organised by the Society of Saint Pius X.

## History

[edit]

Elevation of the chalice at Traditional Roman Rite Mass in Notre-Dame de Chartres on the occasion of a Pilgrimage of Christendom. Notre-Dame de Paris. Notre-Dame de Chartres.

Chartres was a place of pilgrimage even before its Gothic cathedral was built and, by the end of the 12th century, became one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Europe. Its popularity is largely due to the presence of the Sancta Camisa, a piece of silk supposed to have been worn by the Blessed Virgin Mary at the birth of Jesus, donated to the cathedral by King Charles the Bald.[2]

French poet and essayist, Charles Peguy, is credited with keeping the pilgrim's route from Paris to Chartres alive in the 20th century. For most of his life, Peguy was an ardent socialist who found himself at odds with the views of the Catholic Church. Shortly after experiencing a conversion of heart, Peguy made a pilgrimage from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to Chartres Cathedral to pray for his son, who was very ill. His son recovered, and Peguy would continue to walk this pilgrimage route several times before he died in battle during the First World War.[3] Peguy's friends continued to walk the pilgrimage in his memory, and a student pilgrimage grew to attract thousands in the mid 20th century.[4][5]

After a period of decline in the 1960s, the modern Paris-Chartres pilgrimage was revived in 1983 by a traditionalist Catholic organization, Le Centre Henri-et-André-Charlier.[6]

### Split

[edit]

In 1988, traditionalist archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four priests as bishops against the express order of Pope John Paul II. Due to the declaration of schism in the motu proprio, Ecclesia Dei, the traditionalist community was divided due to this event, and Archbishop Lefebvre's Society of Saint Pius X has since organized a separate pilgrimage which goes from Chartres to Paris called Le Pèlerinage de Tradition (Pilgrimage of Tradition).[7] While the excommunications on the 4 surviving bishops were subsequently lifted in 2009 and in spite of the society's irregular canonical status in the Catholic Church, this pilgrimage attracts a large number of people, notably over 6000 in 2024.[8]

In 1991, the Notre-Dame de Chrétienté association was founded to continue to manage the logistics of the Paris-Chartres pilgrimage.[6]

### Influence

[edit]

The Chartres Pilgrimage has attracted significant interest especially amongst Catholics with a love for the Tridentine Mass. The annual event attracts thousands of Christians from across France, as well as a sizable number of international pilgrims. In 2023, for the first time in the pilgrimage's history, registrations had to be closed to latecomers due to logistical difficulties after more than 16,000 pilgrims registered.[9] In 2024, registrations had to be closed to latecomers once again, despite extending the capacity of the event to accommodate more than 18,000 pilgrims.[10][11]

The Chartres Pilgrimage has also inspired similar events in other parts of the world.

* Argentina: The Nuestra Señora de la Cristiandad Pilgrimage, to the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan.
* Australia: The Christus Rex Pilgrimage, from the Ballarat Cathedral to the Bendigo Cathedral.
* Canada: The Marie Reine du Canada Pilgrimage, from Saint-Joseph de Lanoraie to the Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica.
* England: The Walsingham Pilgrimage, from Ely to Walsingham, organized by the Latin Mass Society of England & Wales.
* Spain: The Nuestra Señora de la Cristiandad Pilgrimage, from Oviedo Cathedral to the Covadonga Basilica.
* United States: The Pilgrimage for Restoration, to the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs.

## Themes

[edit]

* 2025: Pour qu’Il règne, sur la terre comme au ciel (That He may reign, on earth as it is in heaven)
* 2024: Je veux voir Dieu (I want to see God)
* 2023: L'Eucharistie, Salut des âmes (The Eucharist, Salvation of souls)
* 2022: Sacré Coeur, Espoir et Salut des nations (Sacred Heart, Hope and Salvation of nations)
* 2021: Je suis la voie, la vérité, la vie (I am the way, the truth, the life)
* 2020: Saints anges, protégez-nous dans les combats (Holy angels, defend us in battle)
* 2019 : La paix du Christ par le règne du Christ (The peace of Christ through the reign of Christ)
* 2017 : Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu (Holy Mary, Mother of God)
* 2016 : Viens, Esprit-Saint (Come, Holy Spirit)
* 2015 : Jésus-Christ sauveur du monde (Jesus Christ saviour of the world)
* 2014 : Au commencement, Dieu créa le Ciel et la terre (In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth)
* 2013 : Education, chemin de sainteté (Education, the way of holiness)
* 2012 : Famille, berceau de la Chrétienté (Family, the cradle of Christendom)
* 2011 : L'Évangile de la vie (The Gospel of life)
* 2010 : L'Église est notre Mère (The Church is our Mother)
* 2009 : Que votre règne arrive (Thy kingdom come)
* 2008 : Chez nous, soyez Reine (Among us, be Queen)
* 2007 : Les marcheurs de Dieu (God's walkers)
* 2006 : Aimer, c'est tout donner (To love is to give all)
* 2005 : Notre-Dame, rempart de la chrétienté (Our Lady, bulwark of Christendom)
* 2004 : Un seul Seigneur, une seule foi, un seul baptême (One Lord alone, one faith alone, one baptism alone)
* 2003 : Chrétienté, vocation de la France (Christendom, calling of France)
* 2002 : Chrétienté, chemin de sainteté (Christendom, way of holiness)
* 2001 : Chrétienté, source de vie (Christendom, source of life)
* 2000 : La messe, cœur de la Chrétienté (The mass, heart of Christendom)
* 1999 : Que votre règne arrive (Thy kingdom come)
* 1998 : Esprit-Saint, Dieu de Force et de Sagesse (Holy Spirit, God of Strength and Wisdom)
* 1997 : Jésus-Christ, salut des nations (Jesus Christ, health of nations)
* 1996 : France, es-tu fidèle aux promesses de ton baptême? (France, are you faithful to your baptismal promises?)
* 1995 : France, éducatrice des peuples (France, teacher of peoples)
* 1994 : France, Fille aînée de l'Église (France, eldest daughter of the Church)
* 1993 : Pour que France, pour que Chrétienté continue (That France, that Christendom may continue)
* 1992 : Dieu premier servi (God served first)
* 1991 : Le Christ, notre liberté (Christ, our freedom)
* 1990 : Vers Notre-Dame de l'Europe de la Foi (Toward Our Lady of Europe of Faith)
* 1989 : Pélerinage du cœur et de la Croix (Pilgrimage of the heart and of the Cross)
* 1988 : Notre-Dame de Fatima—Espérance du Monde (Our Lady of Fatima—Hope of the World)
* 1987 : Demain la Chrétienté (Tomorrow Christendom)
* 1986 : Avec Notre-Dame (With Our Lady)
* 1985 : La famille, avenir de la Chrétienté (The family, the future of Christendom)
* 1984 : Pour la rédemption de la France (For the redemption of France)
* 1983 : Pour le renouveau de la jeunesse de France (For the renewal of the youth of France)

## See also

[edit]

* Notre-Dame de Paris
* Notre-Dame de Chartres
* Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
* St Benedict Patron of Europe Association

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "le Pèlerinage Notre-Dame de Chrétienté | Cathédrale de Chartres". www.cathedrale-chartres.org. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
2. ^ "Pèlerinages". Cathédrale de Chartres (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-01.
3. ^ Editor, Michael J. Matt |. "An American Cardinal in Chartres: Pentecost Pilgrimage Huge Success". The Remnant Newspaper. Retrieved 2024-08-01. `{{cite web}}`: `|last=` has generic name (help)
4. ^ Edwards, Thomas (2024-06-18). "On the road to Chartres: the annual Pentecost pilgrimage has lessons for the wider Church". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
5. ^ "Historical Images of the Chartres Pilgrimage, from Sharon Kabel". Retrieved 2024-08-01.
6. ^ a b "Histoire du pèlerinage – Notre-Dame de Chrétienté" (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-01.
7. ^ "Dates et parcours". Pèlerinages de Tradition (in French). 10 April 2012. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
8. ^ "Un enthousiasme exceptionnel : retour sur le Pèlerinage de Pentecôte 2024 - Pèlerinages de Tradition". www.pelerinagesdetradition.com (in French). 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
9. ^ "Le pèlerinage de Chartres enregistre une affluence record pour la Pentecôte". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-01.
10. ^ Marie, Philippe (2024-04-17). "Le pèlerinage de Chartres à guichet fermé". Tribune Chrétienne (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-01.
11. ^ "Pentecost pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres will have record number of pilgrims". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved 2024-08-01.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Traditionalist Catholicism

Issues|

| Liturgy|

* Preconciliar rites after the Second Vatican Council
* Tridentine Mass
* List of communities using the Tridentine Mass
* Quattuor abhinc annos
* Ecclesia Dei
* Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
* Summorum Pontificum
* Traditionis custodes
* Liturgical use of Latin
* Mass of Paul VI

|

Doctrine|

* Modernism
* Pascendi Dominici gregis
* Syllabus of Errors
* Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
* Dignitatis humanae
* Ecumenism

Events|

* Second Vatican Council
* Écône consecrations
* Giuseppe Siri conspiracy theory

Movements
within the
Catholic Church|

| Institutes and
societies|

* Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius
* Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer
* Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
* Institute of the Good Shepherd
* Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter
* Servants of the Holy Family
* Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer
* Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Still River, Massachusetts)

|

Jurisdictions|

* Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney

Associations|

* Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem
* Juventutem
* Latin Mass Society of England and Wales
* Militia Templi
* Notre-Dame de Chrétienté
* Tradition, Family, Property
* Alleanza Cattolica
* Una Voce

People|

* Romano Amerio
* Mother Angelica
* Paul Aulagnier
* Louis-Marie de Blignières
* Raymond Leo Burke
* Gérard Calvet
* Charles A. Coulombe
* Michael Davies
* Gommar DePauw
* Christopher Ferrara
* Maria-Anna Galitzine
* Wilhelm Imkamp
* Peter Joseph Jugis
* Blaise Kurz
* Philippe Laguérie
* Taylor Marshall
* Malachi Martin
* Roberto de Mattei
* Chad Ripperger
* Athanasius Schneider
* Alexander Tschugguel
* Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis
* Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
* Gilles Wach
* John Zuhlsdorf

Excommunicated
but later reconciled|

* Leonard Feeney
* Bernard Fellay
* Alfonso de Galarreta
* Ginés Jesús Hernández
* Licínio Rangel
* Bernard Tissier de Mallerais
* Ngô Đình Thục

Independent
movements|

| Independent, but no
public renunciation
of papal legitimacy|

| Groups|

| Operating with partial papal faculties|

* Society of Saint Pius X
* Affiliated religious orders
* Canonical situation
* Faculties

|

* Fraternité Notre-Dame
* Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat
* Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Richmond, New Hampshire)

* SSPX Resistance

People|

* Marcel Lefebvre
* Antônio de Castro Mayer
* Richard Williamson
* Nicholas Gruner

Sedeprivationist|

| Groups|

* Istituto Mater Boni Consilii
* Orthodox Roman Catholic Movement

|

People|

* Guérard des Lauriers
* Robert McKenna
* Donald Sanborn

Sedevacantist|

| Groups|

* Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen
* Most Holy Family Monastery
* Feeneyism
* Society of Saint Pius V
* Unión Católica Trento (Los TECOS)

|

People|

* Oswald Baker
* Daniel Q. Brown
* Moisés Carmona
* Anthony Cekada
* Martín Dávila Gandara
* Daniel Dolan
* Hutton Gibson
* Clarence Kelly
* Mark Pivarunas
* Joaquín Sáenz y Arriaga
* Francis Schuckardt
* Carlo Maria Viganò

Conclavist
or Mysticalist|

| Groups|

* Palmarian Catholic Church
* Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church
* Apostles of Infinite Love

|

People|

* Clemente Domínguez y Gómez
* Lucian Pulvermacher
* David Bawden

* v
* t
* e

Catholic laity

Organizations of lay members of the Catholic Church who are neither in holy orders nor members of religious institutes

Personal ordinariates,
prelatures, and apostolic
administrations|

* Military ordinariates
* Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful
* Opus Dei
* Anglican Use: Chair of Saint Peter, Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Our Lady of Walsingham
* Saint John Mary Vianney

Third orders|

* Order of Augustinian Recollects
* Order of Saint Augustine
* Oblates of Saint Benedict
* Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
* Order of Saint Dominic
* Order of Saint Francis
* Secular Franciscan Order
* Order of Mercy
* Order of Minims
* Order Secular of the Most Holy Trinity
* Order of Saint Norbert
* Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
* Association of Salesian Cooperators
* Order of Servites

Confraternities|

| Archconfraternities|

* Archconfraternity of the Holy Family
* Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood

|

Types|

* Confraternities of the Cord
* Confraternity of Penitents
* Flagellant confraternities
* Purgatorial society

Individual|

* Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
* Confraternity of Catholic Saints
* Confraternity of the Rosary
* Bona Mors Confraternity
* Children of Mary of the Sacred Heart
* Hospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes
* Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady
* Penitentes
* Penitential Brotherhood of the Holy Eucharist
* Society of the Holy Name
* Ven. Arc. Misericordia di Florence
* RVISSM

International
associations
of the faithful|

* Catenian Association
* Chemin Neuf Community
* Christian Life Community
* Christian Life Movement
* Cooperators of Opus Dei
* Couples for Christ
* Cursillo
* Communion and Liberation
* Emmanuel Community
* FIMCAP
* Focolare Movement
* Heralds of the Gospel
* International Alliance of Catholic Knights
* International Catholic Conference of Scouting
* International Federation of Catholic Universities
* International Kolping Society
* International Union of Catholic Esperantists
* Lay Claretian Movement
* L'Arche
* Legion of Mary
* Militia Christi
* Militia of the Immaculata
* Neocatechumenal Way
* Pax Romana
* Priests for Life
* Regnum Christi
* Sant'Egidio Community
* SIGNIS
* Schoenstatt Movement
* Teams of Our Lady
* Teresian Association
* UIGSE
* Union of Catholic Apostolate

Other associations
of the faithful|

* Apostolate for Family Consecration
* Association of Vatican Lay Workers
* Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Canção Nova) (Shalom Catholic Community)
* Catholic Christian Outreach
* Catholic Worker Movement
* Fellowship of Catholic University Students
* Madonna House
* Maryknoll Lay Missioners
* NET Ministries
* Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network
* Queen of Angels Foundation
* Saint Paul's Outreach
* Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Movements|

* Catholic Marian movements and societies
* Catholic Action
* Azione Cattolica
* Catholic Women's League
* Catholic Worker Movement
* World Movement of Christian Workers
* Young Christian Workers
* Christian Family Movement
* Courage International
* El Shaddai
* Family Rosary Crusade
* Fidesco International
* Notre-Dame de Chrétienté
* Theology on Tap
* Voice of the Faithful
* Young Men's Institute
* We Are Church

See also|

* Catholic catechesis
* Catholic Congress
* Catholic Extension
* Catholic higher education
* Catholic youth work
* Catholic campus ministry
* Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life
* Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas
* Lists of Catholics
* Pontifical Council for the Laity
* Taizé Community
* Universal call to holiness

| Charities|

* Aid to the Church in Need
* Caritas
* Catholic Charities
* Home Missions
* CNEWA
* Relief Services
* CIDSE
* Pax Christi
* Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

|

* Catholic Church portal
* Index

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template