More Chartres photos: final Mass

My IPhone charger passed away after we arrived in Chartres, which meant I couldn't immediately blog about the Mass we had in the Crypt on the day of departure. Charging up over night outside in the French countryside, attached to a gantry of power sockets powered by a portable generator, proved too much for the poor thing.

I have now processed the photos taken by my 'real' camera and uploaded them to Flickr; I'll be doing some more posts with them. First of all, however, here is the Mass we had in the Crypt of Chartres Cathedral - not, alas, in the shrine chapel of Notre Dame Sous Terre, since the group in there before us was running late. Nevertheless, the crypt was a fine sight with our Mass, the Mass for the Irish group, and private Masses going on simultaneously in neighbouring side chapels.

Here are the Irish assisting at Mass said by their chaplain, the charming Fr Cahill.


A private Mass said by one of our priests:


And Mass said for the British chapters, by Fr Martin Edwards. The chasuble is alas characteristic of the taste of the Cathedral authorities.


The Shrine chapel, set up for a French group, showing the shrine image and also, on the far wall, the reliquary of Our Lady's Veil, the greatest relic of the Cathedral, and one of the truly great relics of the world.


Here is a close-up.


After the Solemn Mass on Monday, we were able to wash and change in a rather comfortable hotel before a dinner with all the British pilgrims: 110 in total.


The Masses above took place on Tuesday morning, and after a short period of free time to look round the Cathedral and say some prayers before the shrines, we got onto the coach for the return journey.

A wonderful and unforgettable pilgrimage. A remarkable number of the British pilgrimes have done it ever year for fifteen years or so - it is clearly habit-forming! The organisation is very smoothly done by Francis Carey, whose father organised the first British contribution to the international pilgrimate in 1992.

More photos and commentary to come!

Solemn Mass #Chartres Cathedral

We have just had a wondeful Solemn Mass 'before a greater





prelate', celebrated by Mgr Gilles Wach before the bishop


of Chartres.

I found the Shrime of Our Lady if the Pillar, one of the three shrines od Our Lady in the Cathedral.

Tomorrow we are having Mass in the Shrine of Our Lady 'Sous Terre', the oldest shrine, in the Crypt.

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We have reached #Chartres Cathedral!

We have arrived!!

I've been carrying the Union Flag, which we have with our chapter along with the banner of Our Lady of Walsingham and a specially designed flag which includes the Sacred and Immaculatr Hearts.

The last day is relatively short, about 15 miles. We get to the Cathedral in time for Mass starting at 3.30. Being fairly near the front we have arrived long before many others.

The standard bearers are waiting on one side; we will be ushered into the choir, apparently, with our banners. At the moment I'm sitting on the pavment outside; the great bell of the Cathedral has begun to ring for Mass.


More pics: private Masses at Gas camp.


My view of the road.


Fr Bede Rowe with the Juventutem chapter.


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Solemn Mass halfway to #Chartres

One of the wonderful


traditions of the Chartres pilgrimage is the Mass on Sunday in the



woods.

It is Pentecost and we





have a Solemn Mass (yesterday it was Missa Cantata). There are ranks of priests in choir; others are hearing confessions, it seems behind every tree! They walk in cotta and purple stole, and hear many confessions as they go along, the chapters leaving space for them and if necessary coming to a halt when the penitent kneels for the absolution.

At the Mass, one particularly touching sight is the lowering of half a dozen banners by boy scouts at the Consecration. When they processed it, they made the same reverence to the Cruxifix before going to their spot to the right of the altar.

The singing is pretty good - very high and slow, in the French manner. There is a schola of clerics and a mixed lay choir. Their singing is amplified by gigantic loudspeakers.

The organisation of the pilgrimage, the setting up and taking down of the camps, marshalling the traffic and distributing water at the stops, is hugely impressive. I have walked all the way so far but my blisters are going to force me to take the afternoon off; with luck I'll be able to walk again tomorrow. Right now I can't manage much more than a shuffle!

I am taking better pictures with my real camera and they will be online in due course.

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#Chartres Stop for Mass & lunch

The vast crowd of pilgrims has stopped for an open air Mass. The altar is in an open-sided tent.



This is also our lunch stop. On the last leg I was carrying the banner of Our Lady of Walsingham.

#Chartres Pilgrims set off from Notre Dame de Paris

We were up while the larks were safely tucked up in their nests to get to Notre Dame Cathedral for 6am.

We are now there, being marhsalled





by region and chapter. The British are part of the 'Estragers' group, which is grouped with the French from Normandy. There are a number of Germans with us.

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Chartres Pilgrimage: we're off

We have had Mass in the Crypt of Westminster Cathedral, and, with a blessing from
Fr Martin Edwards, we are now off on the coach to catch our ferry.

Fr Gerard Byrne said Mass for us. We also have Fr Redmond and Fr Rowe with us.






The Crypt at Westminster Cathedral is the final resting place of Cardinal Griffin and Cardinal Godfrey. Fr Edwards reminded us that in the dark days of the 1980s the Traditional Mass was said there.

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