This reflection was shared by Rev. Jeff Seaton at the pilgrimage farewell evening.
Yesterday, we walked Juno Beach, where the Canadians landed on D-Day. As we walked, the wind washed over my ears like the waves washing up over the beach. Constant, incessant roar. Continue Reading »
Our pilgrimage together has drawn to a close. After sixteen days exploring ‘dwellings for the holy in northwest France’, we gathered for an evening of celebration, with poetry, songs, laughter, and expressions of gratitude for our time together.
We zipped across Paris in the Metro to a Lutheran Chuch for a concluding seminar and closing worship service. Tonight we have a farewell dinner and party.
Today, we returned to Paris for a visit to the Natural History Museum, and consideration of the thought of paleontologist and mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
We visited a church built on the site of Joan of Arc’s burning at the stake in 1431. We reflected on the intersection of politics and religious faith, and sang hymns of lament and peacemaking.
On our first day in Rouen, we visited a synagogue to explore the Jewish presence in this city over the centuries, and our study time was spent in the choir room of the cathedral. The afternoon was free time to explore the city.
We visited the famous embroidery in Bayeux that depicts the events leading to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Our pilgrimage next took us to the Bayeux War Museum, which presents the story of the D-Day landings of 1944, and we then walked along Juno Beach, taken by Canadian-led forces on D-Day.
Today we travelled to the pilgrimage site of Mont St Michel, its Medieval monastic buildings perched high on a rock at the edge of the sea. We walked in silence three times around the cloisters, with their breathtaking view of sea and sky.
A day trip to the isle of Jersey started with a morning visit to the Methodist Church in St. Helier. After lunch, most people took a circle tour of the island, and a few explored the town centre.
Today was a free day in St Malo: a good day to shop, stroll on the beach, and soak in the atmosphere.
