One of the highlights of the 16 ACSSJ students' trip to Le Puy was the 7 a.m. Mass for Pilgrims at the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
The students were from the nine colleges in the Association of Colleges of the Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ). They visited Le Puy June 17-21 to learn more about the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Most of the 100 people who attended were getting ready to launch their pilgrimage on the Camino de St. Jacques (a.k.a. The Way). This centuries-old pilgrimage starts from Le Puy and wends its way across the northern part of Spain to the Atlantic Ocean. People come from all over the world to make this sacred pilgrimage. Many of them walk the full 500 miles in 30-45 days while others walk some part of the Camino. The students walked the first four miles. In the above photo, they are at the Cathedral of Notre Dame posing with St. Jacques.
After the Mass, the pilgrims were invited by the presiding bishop to gather under a statue of St. Jacques for a blessing. First, however, he asked the pilgrims where they were from. The students proudly raised their hands for the USA, and it seemed to please the bishop.
The bishop blessed all of the pilgrims as they prepared for their journey. Many of the students were greatly moved.
The bishop gave each of the pilgrims a St. Jacques de Compostelle medal as a remembrance of this important spiritual journey.
The bishop invited all the pilgrims to write their intentions for their pilgrimage on a piece of paper and put it in a box under the statue of St. Jacques.
Before they left the cathedral, Sister Kitty invited the students to bless one another.
The students began their pilgrimage by filing out of the side door of the church and downward through a stone gate that leads through the city.
Scallop shells have been posted to help guide the pilgrims along The Way.
Someone a long time ago made a ceramic of St. Jacques and placed it next to the sign above.
Outside Le Puy, the students walked up a steep hill. Near its summit was a statue of St. Jacques. The students were more than willing to pose for another group shot.
The Camino de St. Jacques de Compostelle
Le Puy was one of the original routes of the Camino, however, there are several others including the following as posted on the Camino de Santiago website:
- Camino Francés (French Way)
- Camino de Finisterre & Muxia
- Camino Aragones
- Le Puy Route
- Camí de Sant Jaume
- Camino de Madrid
- Camino Ingles
- Camino Primitivo
- Camino Portugués
- Tunnel Route
- Via de la Plata
- Camino del Salvador
- Camino del Norte (Northern Way)
The pilgrimage from Le Puy to St. Jacques de Compostelle began in the 10th century in response to Muslim invasions in Jerusalem, North Africa, Spain, and France. In the 11th century, people began talking about a reconquest of Spain, which the Moors had conquered in 711. Because St. James was believed to be the evangelist of Spain, people began making pilgrimages there in his name. Thanks to the promotion of the pilgrimage by Archbishop Diego Gelmírez (1100-1140), St. Jacques de Compostelle ranked with Rome and Jerusalem among the great destinations of medieval pilgrimage. For more info about the pilgrimage see The Confraternity of St. James website.
The Camino has become very popular in recent years as more and more people seek a spiritual experience through pilgrimage. Some say this is happening because the world is in such a mess. Whatever the reason, pilgrims of all shapes, sizes, ages, nationalities, and religions are attracted to the Camino--and they all have different reasons for following it.
To learn about people's personal stories and experiences on the Camino, see the Martin Sheen film called: The Way or click on to several YouTube documentaries.
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