Welcome to the annual Chartres Pilgrimage in France!
WHO WE ARE:
This site is for those interested in registering for the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (ADULT) Chapter or the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (FAMILY) Chapter. REGINA Magazine is a proud sponsor of these two chapters.
The Paris Chartres Pilgrimage is a three-day walking pilgrimage in the medieval footprint from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres.
Upon arrival at Chartres, pilgrims venerate the veil of Our Lady, one of the most hallowed relics of the Christian world.
The walking route covers approximately 60 miles over 3 days, beginning at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and ending at the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Chartres.
Pilgrims are organized into groups called "chapters."
We are the English-language Chapter of the Most Holy Rosary for adults (intense walkers) and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel for families (experienced walkers).
The family chapters walk about half the route of the other adult chapters. Be sure to train for the walk - it is not easy.
Please note: each Chapter is limited to 50 persons, but due to popular demand we have opened it up.
DATES AND ITINERARY:
The dates for the 2025 Paris to Chartres Pentecost Pilgrimage are June 7 - 9, 2025.
Plan to arrive in Paris on Wednesday, June 4th, or Thursday, June 6th to get acclimated and be able to attend the events on Friday.
On Friday, June 6, the day before the pilgrimage begins, we will have an optional morning Mass at Saint-Roch in Paris with a picnic lunch and a meet-and-greet, for those registered with our chapters.
Details will be sent to registrants at a later date.
There will be Solemn Mass every day of the pilgrimage in the Traditional Roman Rite.
The pilgrimage will begin with Mass at Notre-Dame in Paris the morning of Saturday, June 7, the Vigil of Pentecost.
The following day, the Solemnity of Pentecost (Whitsunday), June 8, Solemn Pontifical Mass will be sung in the French countryside.
The concluding Mass will be celebrated in Chartres Cathedral, on Pentecost Monday, June 9.
Those who join us will have the opportunity to sing and pray in both English, French, and Latin.
On the way of the pilgrimage route, the French have the venerable custom of singing the Rosary in French.
There will be prayer and fellowship, with over 18,000 + pilgrims making the journey together with participants from many countries.
The pilgrimage is organized by the L’association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté (the Association of Our Lady of Christendom).
Following the Chartres Pilgrimage, REGINA Magazine who sponsors the Chapters, has a Retreat at the ICKSP Convent in Loisy, outside Paris. If you would like to join us on Retreat, please go here for more information.
REGISTRATION:
PLEASE NOTE: there are two steps to register for those who wish to join our chapters.
A. The first step is to register for our Chapters and pay your fee on this site.
B. The second step is to register and pay your fee (nominal) on the official site of Notre-Dame de Chretiente. You MUST regiser with Notre Dame de Chretiente otherwise you will not have a wrist band to enter the camps or board the busses etc. This link is not yet available. For those who register with us, we will send you the link for this site as soon as it is LIVE sometime in March or April 2025.
We sincerely hope you will join us — to avoid disappointment, register early!
DISCOUNTS FOR YOUTH AND CLERGY:
NOTA BENE: Our chapters (Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) have a discount for youth (18 and under) who register with us. The cost for them is $25. When you register a youth, type the discount code YOUTH for the discount to apply.
Also, there is no cost for clergy -- when they register with us they can type the discount code FREE.
You will be given a wristband that allows you to walk with a Chapter and enter the camps at night. (Registration for this is separate.)
Group tents are included for the two nights camping, where participants are separated by their gender. Only males are allowed in male tents. Only females are allowed in female tents.
For meals, hot chocolate is provided for breakfast and thin noodle soup for dinner, served with baguette. Bottled water is also provided throughout the Pilgrimage.
You will be given a participant book to follow along the hymns, prayer, and meditations. that change every year.
You must purchase your own round-trip flights. It is best to plan to arrive at least a couple days before in advance.
Travel insurance is highly recommended and should include trip cancellation for any reason and medical coverage.
Although a meager fare is provided , you will need to bring your own food to supplement your meals.
Outside the 3-day walking pilgrimage, you will need to budget for and make arrangements for your own accommodations.
Meet and pray with the group with whom you will spend the next three days! This day is optional, but we highly recommend it!
Mass begins at the Church of St. Roch at 10:00AM.
Church of Saint-Roch, 296 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
Following Mass we will meet in the park across from the Church (a walk of one city block), the Jardin des Tuileries. The Tuilleries Garden is a 17th-century formal garden in the heart of Paris.
Here we will go over last minute instructions for our early meeting the next morning at Notre Dame to begin our Pilgrimage.
The rest of the day is open - you can join us for some impromptu sight-seeing, or you can tour the City of Lights on your own.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Departure Day - Pontifical Mass in Paris. Welcome to Day 1 of the Chartres Pilgrimage!
The pilgrimage begins at Saint Sulpice in Paris,.
Plan to arrive early as it will be crowded! We recommend 5:30 am. Watch for our chapter with its American flag. Find us and get your wristband and booklet and luggage tag. Be patient with us. It will be crowded.
Next, you will drop your luggage (bag) off at the proper lorry truck. Remember to have on you a backpack (daypack) for each day as you walk.
Stick together. There will be lots of people, and too big of a crowd for us to enter the church for the opening Mass. We will be outside for the duration; try to get a good view of the entrance or recessional processions.
After Mass we begin our walk! We keep together as we walk through the city, on our way to the countryside. Don't forget your rosary and the booklet you will be provided with.
Also, don't forget to bring your food for the day in your backpack. You will need three meals, with snacks and a bottle of water. Also, don't forget your hat and sunscreen and rain poncho.
Be ready for rain, sun, and possible cold. You may also want to carry a light jacket or sweater in your backpack as it may be chilly in the morning.
What food to bring? Energy or protein bars. Dried dehydrated fruit. Banana chips. Make you own trail mix or bring some roasted nuts with sea salt. Avoid items that will melt like chocolate protein bars. Some of these items may be difficult to find in France (you can bring them with you from home).
What drink to bring? A water bottle. Also, Gatorade helps with its electrolyte minerals.
There will be a few short stops to rest as we walk. Bottled water will be freely handed out. There are also occasional First-Aid stations as we walk.
Sometimes along the way volunteers can be seen offering protein bars to the clergy, priests, seminarians, and nuns, who make an extra sacrifice walking in their cassock or religious habit.
We walk all day until evening. We take turns carrying the banner and flag for our chapter. We maintain a joyous mood.
If some are unable to walk certain distances, there are volunteers at First-Aid stations to help ferry pilgrims to the next stops.
Once we arrive at camp, find your bag that was transported by the lorry truck. Then find what tents our group is in. Set up your sleeping bag and mat for the night.
Get some grub before it's gone (it goes quick - hot watery soup), served with a piece of bread. Remember to supplement this meager fare with your own food stored in your backpack and luggage.
Don't miss the bonfire hosted by the French Scouts as they re-enact the history of Catholic France with pageantry and an enchanting torchlight procession where they carry a statue of Our Lady of Christendom and sing historic folk songs.
There will also be a tent set up with Adoration to keep Our Blessed Lord company. Get some sleep for an early pre-dawn rise the next morning!
The second day we awake before dawn. Pack up our gear and drop your bag off at the proper location. Eat a quick breakfast and get in line with our group for instructions on when to begin walking.
During the noon hour we stop for outdoor Mass in a farmers field. Bring an umbrella to give yourself some shade. After Mass, we each lunch. Then we continue walking.
In the evening we arrive at camp. People are tired. Find your assigned group tent and set up your bed. Get some sleep, you will need it!
We begin the third morning as we did the second, awaking before dawn. The line for bathrooms will be long -- get in first. Pack up your gear and drop your bag off at the proper location. Get some breakfast before the food is gone.
Next we line up with our chapter to await instructions for the walk. Usually on this morning the foreign chapters are slated to walk first, leading the pilgrimage to Chartres.
This day is not as intense as we arrive at Chartres and have Mass inside the famous Cathedral. The children are invited to enter the church. As there is limited seating, we cannot possibly enter the church. However, the foreign chapters are given a place of honor outside in front of the Cathedral. The view is splendid.
After Mass, everyone goes down the hill to the designated place to retrieve luggage. Then most of the participants take the free train back to Paris while some others will stay to spend a celebratory evening in Chartres.
Don't forget to try to enter the Cathedral after the Mass!
We hope you have a fine time and gain many spiritual blessings from this extraordinary event! And we look forward to seeing you possibly the next year, too!