Christendom College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, led pilgrims on a spiritually enriching tour of Catholic France this past month, taking them deep into the history and beauty of the country. Stopping in Paris, Lourdes, Ars, Avignon, and elsewhere, the pilgrimage proved to be impactful for all, as they learned more about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the many saints of the region, and the deep faith that imbues the country.
This is the latest pilgrimage hosted by the college and O’Donnell, following on previous pilgrimages to Italy, Ireland, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe. This trip, which began on May 22 and ended on June 1, started in Paris and ended in Annecy, with visits to many Catholic sites along the way. Each stop was more spiritually fruitful than the last, with the Sacred Heart truly at the center of the entire pilgrimage.
“France has always been a center for devotion to the Sacred Heart,” says O’Donnell. “There have been so many French saints that were animated with an ardent love for the Sacred Heart that we thought, in preparation for the month of the Sacred Heart in June, and the solemnity of the Sacred Heart, we would go and would visit principal sites in the history of French spirituality that related to devotion to the Sacred Heart. Everywhere we went, we attended Mass, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and prayed the Litany of the Sacred Heart.”
College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell led pilgrims across France, including to the tomb of St. Thomas Aquinas.
During the pilgrimage, O’Donnell led pilgrims into a deeper appreciation and love for the Sacred Heart, both through the sites they visited and through lectures he delivered on the bus rides between locations. O’Donnell is the author of Heart of the Redeemer, which delves into devotion to the Sacred Heart and its development over the centuries. He pulled upon his years of research into the Sacred Heart throughout the trip, sharing with the pilgrims the doctrinal roots of devotion to the Sacred Heart in Scripture and in the Apostolic and Patristic ages, and especially the enormous contribution of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, whose tomb pilgrims had the opportunity to visit.
For Rick Fiesel, who went with his wife, Para, the pilgrimage provided an intellectual and spiritual experience that deepened their faith and understanding of the Sacred Heart.
“Our recent pilgrimage to France was both intellectually and spiritually edifying,” says Fiesel. “Learning some of the history of the Church’s ‘eldest daughter,’ walking in the footsteps of so many prominent saints and venerating their relics was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and sharing this experience with our fellow pilgrims made this trip even more enjoyable and meaningful. My wife and I returned home with a much greater appreciation of France’s role in the history of Christendom and deeper devotion to both the Miraculous Medal and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
The pilgrims were able to attend Mass in numerous historic places, including at the Apparition Chapel in Paray-le-Monial where Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, revealing Devotion to the Sacred Heart.
The beauty of every church they walked into moved the pilgrims, but seeing and praying at the tombs of the saints of the region moved them even more. Pilgrims visited the tombs of St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Jean Vianney, St. Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantel, and others over the course of ten days, seeing where these great saints walked, prayed, and lived during their time on Earth.
“Our hope was that, after we did this pilgrimage, everyone would leave with a deeper catechesis of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thanks to learning about these saints and experiencing the Catholic tradition and the beauty of France,” concludes O’Donnell. “I think everyone’s faith was deepened, their prayer was deepened, and everyone was able to enter more fully into the mystery of the Heart.”