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Pilgrimage to La Salette & Chartreuse led by Fr Damien Walne
Introduction
Although the shrine of Lourdes is so well known throughout the world, there are several other sanctuaries in France which record the appearance of Our lady during the turbulent and socially fast-changing period of the mid-nineteenth century. The message received by St Catharine Laboure in the convent of the Sisters of Charity in Paris, in 1830 was the first recorded vision of this kind to the modern world and marked the start of a series of messages which not only warned society of the dangers of ignoring God but also the great consolation and aid through recognising the saving grace of Jesus Christ. La Salette is situated in one of the most scenically beautiful areas of Europe, the Alps, easily accessible for us today and attractive to tourists and sportsmen alike but in 1846 was a remote, poor backwater, where dialect was spoken more than standard French. The apparition at La Salette had much in common with others in France that it was to children of a poor background, lacking in religious instruction that Our Lady chose to appear to and that she communicated a clear message related to the times. Melanie and Maximin Giraud were typical children from a deprived rural farming area, who had little formal education and certainly only rudimentary formation in the Catholic faith. In fact when one day they were confronted by the extraordinary sight of a beautiful lady weeping, like Bernadette and the children of Fatima they had no idea who was in front of them.
The message of Our Lady of La Salette was in a sense the forerunner to that of Fatima: that if people did not heed the teachings of her Son, Jesus Christ, calamities would befall the world on a local and international level. As with all the other appearances of Mary those to whom she made herself known were commanded to make her words known at large. One of the impressive aspects of the story of La Salette as in those at Lourdes, Fatima and the other places of apparition is that these simple uneducated children could make those in high positions not only believe them but make them act on the missive communicated to them. Only a few years after Mary’s appearance to the children at La Salette, Pope Pius IX approved of the devotion of La Salette and his successor, Leo XIII had a great basilica built on the mountain, where pilgrims have flocked to ever since and still do. The first part of this pilgrimage is devoted to La Salette and a whole day will be spent following a day of programmed devotions. Following the stay in La Salette the tour moves to the beautiful Alpine capital, Grenoble which has many things of religious and cultural interest to see and from where there will be a day excursion to the great monastic foundation of La Chartreuse, the first house founded by St Bruno and the blueprint for one of the most ascetic forms of enclosed life.
Basic Itinerary
DAY ONE - MONDAY
London - Grenoble - La Salette
Meet at Stansted Airport for flight to Grenoble or Lyon and then transfer by road (about 2 hours) to the shrine of La Salette, situated on the slope of Mount Gargas at a height of about 6,000 feet. Check-in at the pilgrims’ hostel (en-suite rooms) for dinner and a three night stay.
DAY TWO - TUESDAY
La Salette
Today and Wednesday we stay in the Sanctuary and follow a full programme of devotions, for some of which we join the resident community at La Salette and others will be private for the group. Mass will be celebrated during the day which will culminate in a torchlight procession around the shrine. Lunch and dinner are included on both days.
DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY
La Salette
Yesterday and Today we stay in the Sanctuary and follow a full programme of devotions, for some of which we join the resident community at La Salette and others will be private for the group. Mass will be celebrated during the day which will culminate in a torchlight procession around the shrine. Lunch and dinner are included today.
DAY FOUR - THURSDAY
La Salette - Grenoble
After breakfast and celebrating Mass at the Shrine we leave La Salette and travel through stunning mountainous scenery to Grenoble and check-in to our hotel for 2 nights stay. Dinner will be in our hotel each night of our stay in Grenoble. ‘A mountain at the end of every street’ was how the author Stendhal described this picturesque city, which is also embraced by the confluence of the rivers Drac and Isere. This afternoon we set out to discover the centre of the city on foot with the help of a local guide and we visit the main square, Place Grenette, the beautiful 13th century church of Saint Andre, the cathedral of Notre Dame and the medieval houses in the vicinity. Afterwards, you can cross the river Isere and ascend to the Fort de la Bastille by cable car, if you are still feeling energetic.
DAY FIVE - FRIDAY
Chertreuse
After breakfast we travel by coach to the mountain range of La Chartreuse, to visit one of the most famous monasteries in the world. After many years as a successful ecclesiastical educator, St Bruno, born in Cologne around 1030 sought a dramatic change to his life and after having tried the enclosed life of St Robert of Molesmes consulted Hugues, Bishop of Grenoble, who was known as a religious reformer. Hugues informed Bruno that he had had a vision in which he saw God building a home for himself in the Chartreuse Mountains and seven stars which pointed out a particular area known as the ‘Desert of Chartreuse’. Bruno took this dream as a divine message and with six companions set about building individual cells for their own spiritual contemplation and a chapel and dining hall. Bruno may only have stayed here for six years before he was called to Rome to assist the Pope but it was the start of a concept of solitary monastic life that is still attracting men to join the Carthusian order to this day. Our day begins with a visit to the Museum of La Grande Chartreuse, which is housed in a building that was once part of the monastery. Given the isolated life of the Carthusians, the public are not allowed to enter the monastery but the museum presents the life of a monk, taking you from the church to the cloister, seeing a typical cell and an exhibition of videos, photographs and artefacts to help us understand this very particular vocation. After lunch (optional in a local restaurant) we continue to the famous cellars of the monastery, which still produce the green herbal liqueur for which the monastery is well-known. The production process will be explained and will finish with a tasting and the chance to buy this and other products made by the monastery. Return to Grenoble for dinner.
DAY SIX - SATURDAY
Grenoble - London
Transfer to Grenoble airport for the return flight to London Stansted.
Travel Dates and Cost: | ||
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22nd September 2008 - 27th September 2008
Six Days
£499
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Terms of Payment:Deposit of £90 per person on booking (plus insurance if required). Final payment due two months before the departure date. THIS PRICE IS GUARANTEED UNTIL THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE DEPARTURE DATE, AFTER THIS TIME THERE MAY BE A FLIGHT SURCHARGE. | ||
THIS TRIP INCLUDES:Return flights on Ryanair: Stansted – Grenoble or Lyon. UK and France airport taxes. Accommodation on a shared basis in twin-bedded rooms for 3 nights at the Pilgrim’s Hostel at La Saletteand, two nights in a 2 or 3 star hotel in Grenoble, with en-suite facilities. Breakfast, two lunches in La Salette and dinner each day. Guided tours as per the itinerary and Catholic Mass each day. Service of a Pax Travel tour escort.
EXTRAS:Insurance at £26 per person. Single room supplement at £70 per person for 5 nights (limited availability). Lunches, drinks and souvenirs.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:Catholic |
