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About the Joan of Arc Pilgrimage of 2005 We wish to once again to give thanks to the God of the Bible for keeping us all safe and sound, and the many blessings received by all during the Joan of Arc Pilgrimage of June 2005. From start to finish, it was a unique and wonderful experience, and went beyond our stated goals and expectations. This was certainly due in part to the many French people who once again surpassed our expectations and hopes with their warm and generous welcome to us. Not only did they share their extensive knowledge of Joan of Arc (and her times) with us, but they did so with kindness and graciousness. Although Joan has many world-wide admirers, a pilgrimage group from America (mostly) following in her footsteps, is unusual. Also, we’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of these people over the last 6-7 years, and perhaps because of these two things, we were treated royally. We began planning for this pilgrimage immediately after the one of 2004. For the 2005 pilgrimage we wanted to continue to build on the foundation of the previous 2 French pilgrimages we had led (2002 and 2004). However, this time we wanted to aim at a little smaller target. We wanted to focus on Joan’s spirituality and roots. Our first stop was the monastery of St Thierry, just outside of Reims, where we stayed 2 nights. It is located in the countryside, and the sisters who run it are very kind. It provided the restful environment we wanted for the beginning of the pilgrimage. While there, we attended the annual Joan of Arc/Middle Ages festival in Reims. There was lots of ‘street animation’ and people dressed in middle-ages attire. And of course, we spent a couple of hours at the Cathedral de Reims, where Charles VII was anointed and crowned in 1429, with Joan of Arc in attendance. Next, we went to Domremy, where we spent 5 nights. We wanted to use Domremy as our home base for many reasons. The charm of this small village remains very much in tact, the countryside is gorgeous, and there are many Joan of Arc experts living in this area who had volunteered their time for us. We met with the 3 priests there, responsible not only for the church of Domremy, but also for 17 other churches in the area. Fr Jean Mengin (retired now, but still in charge of the Basilique), again gave graciously of his time. He not only gave us a personal tour of the Basilique (dedicated to Joan), but also came to share some of our morning get-togethers. We ate very well, and after meals were serenaded by Les Travailleuses Missionaires (‘the working missionaries’-these are the sisters, who come from all over the world, who run the restaurant next to the Basilque). Marie-Veronique Clin (author of: JOAN OF ARC-HER STORY), drove all the way from Paris (4 hours) to spend some time with us. She is really wonderful. She brought a friend with her this time, Princess Laurence de Beauffremont. Laurence is actually a descendant of one of Joan of Arc’s godmothers. Although she is a real Princess, you’d never know it by her behavior. She is very down to earth, and went out of her way to welcome us. Laurence and Marie-Veronique had planned a unique day trip for us. They took us to the private castle (i.e. not open to the public) Chateau de Bourlemont (les Bourlemonts are also descendants from another godmother of Joan). It was very beautiful, sitting on top of a hill overlooking the splendid countryside, and we were there without any tourists. We also had a private guided tour of the old church of Neufchateau. It was closed, but arrangements had been made for our private tour. Afterwards they took us to the Chateau de Beauffremont, where the Prince of Beauffremont and his wife had prepared quite a feast! We finished this unforgettable day with a visit of the Prince’s distillery of Mirabelle Plum. Again, the countryside was superb. We also had eventful daytrips to Vaucouleurs, and Bermont. Mr. Olivier, President of the Bermont Association, was our guide at Bermont, and brought us up to date on the latest discoveries and work being done at the Chapelle de Bermont, where Joan often went to pray. Before the end of our stay at Domremy, we also had the pleasure and honor to deliver a check for some repairs to be made in the Domremy church. Many Americans had given money for the church (some through us, and some through the Joan of Arc Center in Albuquerque, NM). We organized an official ceremony for this. The members of the organization in charge of the restoration of the church, the priests, mayor, the Travailleuses Missionnaires, and local dignitaries of Domremy were all gathered in front of Joan’s natal church for the ceremony. It made the papers there, and there was also good village turnout. Next we went to Orleans. Again, we did not want to stay in the big city. Instead we stayed 2 nights in the Benedictine monastery, St-Benoit-sur-Loire. It’s always interesting for people to see what a real monastery is like. The brothers there are always very nice, and sing Gregoriean chants in the old Roman Abbey, which is itself very impressive. We had a private guided tour while there. We did a day trip to Orleans to see some of the rich history there from Joan’s amazing victory in 1429 (i.e. Joan of Arc’s house and the town Cathedral). We also did a day trip to Chateau de Sully, 5 minutes from St Benoit, another important Joan of Arc site, and a truly ‘small’ beautiful castle. We then returned to Paris, where we had our last dinner together in a small family restaurant outside of Paris. Thank you to all who those who came with us, and all those who welcomed us with such warm hospitality. We could not have asked for more. FOR PREVIOUS PILGRIM FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION, SEE Testimonials and References
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