Pilgrimage to Our Origins

The Pilgrimage to Our Origins program was a totally internationalized experience this year. Three sisters from Argentina (including one Italian missionary) and one sister from Senegal joined Sr. Line Rioux (of the USA) and Sr. Eluiza de Andrade (of Brazil) on a pilgrimage to historical sites of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the areas around Le Puy. 

During the week-long pilgrimage, they visited the Kitchen, the Living History Centre, the Cathedral de Notre Dame du Puy, l'Eglise du College, and the Tree of the Martyrs in Le Puy. They went to St. Flour where Fr. Medaille began his ministry. In learning about Mother St. John Fontbonne they saw her birthplace in Bas-en-Basset, her first mission in Monistrol, the place where she was imprisoned in St. Didier-en-Velay during the French Revolution, and her bedroom and graveside in Lyon. 


St. Flour

St. Flour is almost 2 hours from Le Puy. It was Fr. Medaille's first mission after he became a priest in 1643. He taught grammar at the Jesuit College there.  

Jean Pierre Medaille was born in Carcassonne, France, on October 6, 1610. As a Jesuit, he was first assigned to be a missionary to the small villages in south-central France. While he was in St. Flour, he met several women who were tending the sick and wanted some kind of spiritual community. Although this community was formed, it did not last. He later met more of these kinds of women in LePuy who eventually became known the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1650. Fr. Medaille was their spiritual director.

The sisters visited the School and College of St. Joseph was founded in St. Flour by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Although there are no sisters there now, the spirit and charism of the sisters is continued through the principal, faculty, and staff. 

Madame Giscard, the principal of the primary school, was taught by the sisters there. She has since been with the school professionally for the past 20 years and clearly emulates the spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph.  

It was October vacation for the students, but Madame Giscard was there in her office to greet the sisters on pilgrimage. She explained how the school had grown and evolved over the years. She was especially proud of the recent renovations.

The school entrance illustrates its mission, which is based on the parable of the mustard seed from the Gospel of Matthew.

Amanda and Maggorina talk with Eluiza

Hilda and Mary discuss a couple points about the school

Maggiorina checks out the primary students' "buddy" who teaches them how to dress for all seasons and all occasions.

Marie Therese stands at the original door of the school. 

The sisters brought a picnic lunch with them to St. Flour and ate in a beautiful city park filled with horse chestnut trees. It was a sunny but windy day.

Happy 34th Birthday, Marie Therese

The sisters celebrated Marie Therese's birthday with a song at breakfast. In the evening, they honored her with a cake. Throughout the day she received e-mail, text, and What's Up messages from family and friends in Senegal.

Marie Therese, a math major, cut the raspberry cream cake into eight triangles. No one present had ever seen that done before. What a concept!

Marie Therese appreciated the sisters' card to her with everyone's special birthday message.















Bas-en-Basset, Monistrol, and St. Didier
The group toured places pertinent to the life of Mother St. Fontbonne. They visited her birthplace in Bas-en-Basset, then went on to Monistrol where she entered at age 19 and later became a superior at age 26. They also went to St. Didier where she was imprisoned during the French Revolution.

The sisters stand in front of the birthplace of Mother St. John Fontbonne in Bas-en-Basset. The building was erected in 1757 (see door post inscription above the sisters' heads). The tools on both sides depicted on both sides of the date are carpenter's tools signifying that her father was a carpenter.

In Monistrol, the sisters met with Sr. Pierre Marie, who welcomed them to the convent and gave them a little history of the building. The sisters first came to Monistrol in 1660 to take care of the poor and infirm. In 1776, Monseigneur de Galard built this house. The sisters then opened a school for girls. In 1793, during the French Revolution (1789-99), the house was seized and the sisters either left or were imprisoned. Soldiers lived in the house during the war years. The sisters eventually bought back the house from the government and in 1820 they re-started the school. 

The chapel had been completely destroyed, but it was re-built in 1825. One stone remains from the original chapel, and the sisters had it cemented on the wall outside of the new chapel. 

Saint-Marcellin Church was erected in 1150 and renovated for the first time in 1309.  In 1657 the clock tower and dome was added. In 1794 (during the French Revolution) the church was turned into a covered market.  In 1807 the exterior walls and apse were reconstructed to give it its current appearance. 

Sister ___ (Institut) gives the sisters on a tour of Saint-Marcellin Church and shares a bit of its history.

Lyon

The sisters spent a day in Lyon visiting the Living History Centre of the Congregation of Lyon. They were greeted by Sr. Catherine Barange, Superior General of the Congregation, and Sr. Rosa Maria, also of the General Counsel. Then they headed for the chapel where Sr. Line gave an explanation of the painting in the apse.

Mary (standing) and Eluiza (red jacket) translate from English to Spanish and French, respectively.

Here is an early version of the SSJ family tree hangs in the chapel. Since then and with much more research, the family tree has been revised.











The sisters also explored the Living History Centre where artifacts of the Lyon Congregation are kept. 



Line explained that this painting of Mother St. John Fontbonne was done by one of the sisters without her knowing it. Jeanne Fontbonne resisted what she considered undue recognition of her works and leadership. 

The sisters took a traditional pose with a sculpture of Mother St. John Fontbonne, which was created by Sr. Mary Southard. Two sisters from India who were visiting the Generalate, joined the group. 

 The final stop of the day in Lyon was the gravesite of Mother St. John Fontbonne. The sisters were quite moved by this experience as well as the pilgrimage in general.

Marie Therese and Maggorina

Hilda

     
Sunday -- the Last Day
On Sunday we all went to Mass at the Cathedral and made a short tour of the spacious building. Afterward, we returned home for a traditional French dish of the Alpine mountains called raclette, and it was delightful.

 

The term, raclette, is derived from the French word, racler, which means "to scrape," a reference to the fact that the melted cheese is scraped onto boiled red potatoes. 

The electric table-top grill is heated. On the bottom layer is the place for the little pans called coupelles, which melt the cheese. Our grill also had a stone for keeping the potatoes warm. Our grill 8 coupelles. 

The cheese had already been cut so that it could be placed into the coupelles and heated. It takes the cheese about 5 minutes to melt. 



You can prepare your potatoes by peeling them or, if you don't want to wait to put more cheese on more potatoes, just leave on the skin. 

Once the cheese is melted, you just slide the cheese onto the potatoes. A little wooden stick helps this process, although our coupelles were teflon-coated so they slid off easily.

Raclette is served with ham, salami, gherkins, pickled onions, and white wine like Savoie, Riesling, or Pinot Gris.

Raclette cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that has been aged for 3-6 months and fashioned into a wheel about 13 pounds (6 kg).

Sr. Simone joined us for déjeuner and with Eluiza helped the sisters prepare their dish of raclette.

Simone and Hilda

Maggiorina, Hilda, and Amanda

Line, Eluiza, Marie Therese, and Mary

The sisters had an afternoon reflection period, where they wrapped the entire pilgrimage. Then, it was time for another meal and Marie Therese volunteered to cook it. We had some very tasty pasta and vegetables.











The evening, however, was still young and no one wanted to call it a day, just yet. Marie Therese taught the sisters a song she had written about St. Joseph and the sisters' devotion to him.

Marie Therese also showed Maggiorina how to drum out a beat to the music.








Mary grabbed a guitar and began a sing-a-long with Spanish songs and American folk songs. 

The day--and the entire pilgrimage--had ended on a very happy note and the sisters were satisfied.

Congregation of St Joseph Comes to Le Puy

Fourteen members of the Congregation of St. Joseph came to Le Puy for a pilgrimage. Here is their story in their own words.


Arrival

After 25 hours of planes and buses, 13 representatives of the Congregation of St. Joseph, led by Sr. Carol Crepeau, arrived safely  on Thursday, October 11 at the Centre for a pilgrimage to our foundations. Eluiza greeted them with bisous and bonjours as Olga snapped photos. Although a bit fatigued, their spirits were high and ready for one of the greatest spiritual journeys of their lives.

After a little unpacking an a brief rest, participants gathered for appetizers and "champagne" in the Community Room. 

City Walk


"From the Centre we walked a crooked bridge, made so as to keep evil spirits away. We crossed the yellow road (ring road around the old city) and began the uphill trek past the 'living wall' at the base of St. Michel d'Aiguille. The walk was alive with escargot, small lizards, and small plants. We entered the court of the 'Temple of Diana' now called the Chapel of St. Clare. There we saw a fountain and a 'magic square' in the pavement--a place where early Christians gathered secretly sharing faith.

    

Up the street we saw the city below--St. Laurent, where St. Dominic once preached. We walked past the high school, which is supported by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and turned to go to Place des Tables. Madame Martine showed us how she makes bobbin lace., which the first sisters also made to support themselves. Martine's husband, Raphael, let us taste verveine, a drink made from a local herb that helps with digestion. At this point we were at the foot of the hill leading to Notre Dame Cathedral, the base of the largest puy (solidified lava mount). We would climb to the Cathedral on another day. 

Place du Plot

From Place des Tables we continued down Rue de Raphael to Place du Plot. Here we ate lunch: country fare with green lentil salad, paninis with French ham and cheese, quiches, and many other delights. 

   After lunch, we walked down Rue Courrerie to Place Martouret (Place of Martyrs). Across from the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) is a large tree which grows on the spot where one of two guillotines were erected during the French Revolution and where some of our sisters gave their lives. Little did we know the many other treasures that awaited us in this sacred place in the days ahead."   Denise

"Our first full day in Le Puy was spent walking the cobblestone streets and alleys of our early Sisters. We marveled at sites that are important to our St. Joseph history such as the orphanage that was our first ministry. We ran our hands through the same cold spring water of those first Sisters. We noticed locals, tourists, and other pilgrims like ourselves on our journey. As we strolled along the cobblestones and climbed up and down the hills, we tried to imagine our sisters doing the same all those many years ago and felt grateful for our opportunity to follow them."    Karen 

The Kitchen
On Saturday, the group visited the Kitchen, which turned out to be perfect timing: it was two days before Founders' Day, and here they were in the place where the first sisters lived. 

Sr. Simone provided an explanation about life in the 17th century and how the sisters probably lived--and captivated the participants in her usual way. 

Simone explains the bedwarmer.

Janet demonstrates the foot warmer.

So how did the sisters make lace when the Kitchen was so dark? 
They lit a candle and had it reflect off a glass globe filled with water. This lighting was used in rural France until after 1945 before electricity was installed. 

Mary assists Simone in demonstrating how this worked.

"The long-awaited trip to the Kitchen finally came, and it did not disappoint. Sr. Simone, our French guide, filled with love and zeal, brought the holy ground of the Kitchen alive with the spirit of our first sisters. We felt bonded to them in love of God and love of neighbor. Simone's hospitality warmed our hearts as she 'warmed our feet with the fire's glowing embers. We witnessed how one small candle magnified by water, lit the weaving of lace in the windowless room, just as God continues to be magnified throughout the world by the presence and work of our sisters, associates, and colleagues in mission. We ended our trip to the Kitchen by renewing our commitments and rededicating ourselves to the mission of unity."     

                                                          Mary Catherine, CSJ


After a 90-minute talk with Simone, the group concluded their visit with a prayer.

Ann, Wanda, and Mary Catherine

The three sisters of the group posed for a photo with Simone.

The Cobblestones of Le Puy

 The road on which the first six walked
... to market          
... to worship          
... to meet the dear neighbor.

I walked that same road, 
The cobblestones of Le Puy          
... to market          
... to worship          
... to meet the dear neighbor.

I felt the first six come alive.
We walked together in joy.
We prayed together as if we were of one time.

1650 or 2018
The year does not matter.
We are of one heart.               Ann, CSJ

Another irresistible photo op of the entire group.

Living History Centre
One of the experiences the Centre has been able to offer its guests as a complement to the Kitchen is the Living History Centre (a.k.a. Scenography). Now in its second year, the Scenography documents the origins of the Sisters of St. Joseph from 1650. It starts, however, in 1550, the time of the Protestant Reformation, which provides an historical context for the emergence of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Le Puy. The Living History Centre was made possible by a grant from the Anna-Maria Moggio Foundation.



Olga, International Centre staff member, discusses one of the sisters' first family trees commissioned in 1950 in commemoration of the 300th anniversary. 







Saturday Market

"On Saturday morning, we walked back into the old city to go to the Saturday market. I, for one, love my local farmers markets at home, but y experiences at home were nothing like the market in Le Puy. The whole square was bustling with people selling their merchandise along with throngs of people doing their shopping for the week! Stands of vegetables and breads shared space with cheese sellers, olives of all kinds, butchers and more! It was incredible to feel so part of the hustle and bustle of weekly life in such an historic city. To experience such life moving forward in a place where our sisters lived and shopped hundreds of years ago was amazing."    Elizabeth

"The vendors gather at the square to display their goods to the multitude passing by and enjoying the experience with friends and family. This experience is not new--Eon's and the Gathering has occurred every Saturday. A delightful experience as I walked, listened, and soaked in the market experience in Le Puy, France. One I will treasure forever."             Ben

The Joseph Table
Saturday night the group had the Joseph Table where participants each contributed something for the evening meal. The results were stunningly delicious and beautiful.

"We were invited to go to the market and choose a food item to share at the St. Joseph Table. Upon return for the day, we prepared the food we chose and shared it with the group. What an amazing feast we had. Bon Appetit!"        Janet

Each person described their dish, noted its ingredients and explained how they made it.

Sunday Mass and Coffee Afterward

      "I grew up with the Latin Mass. This liturgy, in French, was fairly incomprehensible to me also. I couldn't help but sympathize with he 5-year-old little one behind me who had a difficult time 'holding it together' for the hour. I realize now how hard liturgy is for little one--for them it is akin to a foreign language. 

      That being said, how lively that the parish priest welcomed us, the CSJ pilgrims from the États Unis (USA)! Watching the attentiveness of the people during the homily told me it was a good one indeed.  

      What a beautiful church and a beautiful experience realizing we were together as one people of faith, despite the language barrier."      Barbara

"On Mission Sunday we men and women of the Congregation of St. Joseph were welcomed by the pastor of Des Carmes, a church that was founded in the 14th century, as pilgrims and missionaries from the United States to Le Puy in France. Internationality permeated in this Sunday Mass. The Portuguese community was thanked for donating the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, and we were invited to celebrate during the coming week with Christians from Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Des Carmes is the parish church of the Centre and truly lives with 'the dear neighbor.'"     Carol

On Being Here in Le Puy

"In preparation for this trip I began reflecting on my own French heritage. However, I was not prepared for the deep soulful connection. There was the connection with food and its preparation. For instance, the peas were cooked with a roux and the Le Puy lentils had similar seasonings to my own red beans. That as the start of the connections.
As I walked the streets and viewed the colors of the buildings, I realized where the choices for my own home originated. The windows on the buildings were like the windows of my home, and in the windows you see lace curtains--which I have also. 

It was when we visited the Kitchen that it all came together. Meeting Sr. Simone was like meeting my grandmother, who was born a Belanger. So Simone's facial features were so similar that it was as if my grandmother was standing in front of me.

As I reflect on my visit to this French countryside, I realize the real connection with the Congregation--the culture, the familial characteristics--but most important, the unconditional love--the connection with my Soul."      Kate