Vacations are over. A new school year has begun, a year of work, consecutive months of various challenges, hardships, tasks to be accomplished, surprises that life prepares for each of us. In order to enjoy the atmosphere of the past vacations and gain strength for the next year of work, the John Paul II Foundation Chaper in Aulnay sous Bois decided to organize a one-day bus pilgrimage to the Cathedral in Chartres on September 10, 2022. Not only members of the Foundation Chapter set off on the pilgrimage, but also parishioners from the Polish Church from Aulnay sous Bois led by their parish priest and spiritual guardian of the Chapter, priest Jarosław Koch TChr.
This beautiful place, about 100 km away from Paris, makes an amazing impression on pilgrims. Approaching Chartres, each of the newcomers suddenly sees two lofty, slender towers, seeming to touch the sky surrounded by vast fields. It is a Gothic cathedral, a proud landmark of the city located on the banks of the winding ribbon of the Eure River in the department of Eure-et-Loir. According to legend, the beginnings of the cathedral date back to the third century, when the first Christians arrive in Chartres and find in the cave a Celtic sculpture of a pregnant woman, whom they consider to be an image of the pregnant Virgin Mary. Considering it a miracle, they build the first wooden church. The current Gothic cathedral was built on the ruins of the Romanesque cathedral, which burned down in 1194. The reason for the construction of such a large temple was a relic in the form of a robe, or more precisely a veil, attributed to the Virgin Mary. The cathedral charmed us with the splendor of beautiful stained glass windows, of which there are as many as one hundred and sixty. Among them you can find the famous Blue Rose and the Blessed Virgin Mary of Beautiful Glass. On the floor in the heart of the cathedral there is the largest labyrinth in Europe. In addition to its decorative function, it enabled pilgrims from the Middle Ages to make a journey on their knees, understood as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, most often celebrated in an act of penance for sins. There is also a statue – the Virgin Mary “at the pillar” (Vierge du Pilier) from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Chartres Cathedral was the first in France to be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. In the Middle Ages, indulgences were held here every year, which attracted crowds of pilgrims. Since 1979, the Cathedral has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
We were introduced to the history of this wonderful place, to the richness of the biblical scenes depicted on the stained glass windows, by the guide, who with great passion and commitment talked about the most important details related to the Cathedral.
Then our Pastor, Father Jarosław Koch, celebrated a Holy Mass for us in the chapel of St. John the Baptist located in the crypt of the Cathedral. Through the intercession of St. John Paul II we prayed for the FJPII members and their families and for all the pilgrims present from Aulnay sous Bois and their families.
On the way back we still had time to stop in the beautiful gardens of the castle in Rambouillet (Château de Rambouillet). All the pilgrims were in a good mood throughout the day and all returned home very satisfied. It was a day not only dedicated to sightseeing, but also, or rather above all, to prayer. We used the time during the bus ride to praise the Lord through prayers and songs, which of course were led by Father Jarosław.
Elisabeth Noster
