|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Above: in 1979, Mont Saint Michel was listed as a “World Heritage Site” by Unesco, receiving over 2.5 million visitors a year.
History
The origin of Mont Saint Michel dates back to the year 708. Michael the Archangel appeared in a vision to Saint Aubert, bishop of Avranches, and asked him to build a sanctuary in his name. In 966, a community of Benedictines established itself and built the first church.
The abbey began to produce, preserve and study a large number of manuscripts. It then became a major center of culture during the Middle Ages. A true political and intellectual crossroads, the abbey of Mont Saint Michel welcomed pilgrims from all walks of life, including several kings of France and England, such as Henry II Plantagenet, Saint Louis, and Louis XI.
Mont Saint Michel withstood the Hundred Years’ War, and is used as a mark of victory for the French. Unfortunately, the Benedictines had to abandon the abbey during the French Revolution in 1791, as it was turned into a state prison. The Tourist website for the site states that “From then until 1863, 14,000 prisoners passed through this ‘Bastille of the Seas,’ where tides and quicksand made escape impossible.” The monument also survived the Second World War, although it was occupied by the Germans for four years. It was not until 1969 that a community would be established within the abbey’s walls. Since June 24, 2001, The Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem have been blessed to reside at this site and welcome pilgrims from all over the world.
Pilgrims have walked to this site since its origin. It’s not an easy way, as the tide changes from low to high at certain times of day; not to mention the quick sand that surrounds the monument. Throughout the centuries, Catholics would make long, and often, dangerous pilgrimages to Rome or the Holy Land with a great plea to God. The same can be said about Mont Saint Michel, with pleas to St Michael the Archangel—one of many patrons of France and the Holy Catholic Church.
The abbey is impressively built upon rock with several reconstructions in different architectural periods, making the abbey unique amongst most historical monuments standing today, beginning with the romanesque abbey church in the 11th century, to adding the Gothic cloister and refectory in the 13th century, rebuilding a choir in the flamboyant Gothic period, with restoration continuing since the end of the 19th century.
My Pilgrimage
On September 21, 2024, the day began with Sung mass at the church of Saint-Genêts, which was followed by a picnic on the shore of the bay. Around 2:00 p.m., the pilgrimage commenced with hundreds of faithful. There were two main groups from the SSPX: one from the region of Normandy and the other from Brittany. (A friend shared that there is a dispute as to which region Mont Saint Michel is located, since it lies on the border between Normandy and Brittany. It’s a common joke between the two regions today.)
I was expecting to be walking on land, like your typical pilgrimage, but I quickly realized there would be no need for sneakers. Surprisingly, we would be walking barefoot to the monument. The water and sand felt cold and slippery with my first steps. What an adventure this day would be!
Groups began to chant the Rosary in French and Latin, with other moments of prayer and invocations to Saint Michael.
At some points, the water reached our knees. This made it slow to walk, especially with the strong current.
The guides of the pilgrimage paid attention to the sand that laid ahead of us, which caused us to walk in different directions in order to avoid the dangerous quicksand areas. It was a safe journey, thanks be to God.
A native-french pilgrim describes the journey:
The pilgrimage to Mont Saint Michel was an important moment for me. It allowed me to entrust this new year to Saint Michel the Archangel, in a world where the fight is increasingly tough.
Heading towards Mont Saint Michel, with clay feet and soaked outfits was certainly very fun. But in my opinion, this, above all, represents the earthly path we follow as exiles from Heaven. This path is full of pitfalls, vices and sins in which we are stuck, soaked by tears of sadness and repentance and whipped by the wind of temptations. If we keep our eyes turned to God, then the obstacles vanish and the joy fills our soul. What could be more pleasant than finding companions in the “same galley”?
This day was an opportunity to return to an important monument in our history, essential for its architecture and symbolism. Mont Saint Michel reminds us not only of the close link that united man to his God, a link that is expressed through this grandiose architecture, but also of the special protection that France has always enjoyed. He gives us confidence again in the One who was able to prevent it from losing its rights against the English crown. Thus France was entrusted to a high-level angel, our good Saint Michael!
I think every Frenchman cherishes this monument because it is the glory of France. Symbol of French independence, pride of a people elected by God, Mont Saint Michel never ceases to amaze us and will remain inscribed in my memory no matter what happens.
Once all of the pilgrims arrived on the mount, we gathered in a courtyard for prayer. Mont Saint Michel was our pilgrimage destination, but we were only halfway done for the day. By 5:00pm, we made a two hour journey back to our starting point before high tide. It was an incredible day and I recommend this pilgrimage to anyone who has the opportunity to visit France.
Prayer of national Consecration to Saint Michael the Archangel pronounced by the bishops of France on May 19, 1912:
Glorious Saint Michael, allow us to bring you the homage of our gratitude, our veneration, our love.
Appointed by the Eternal to guard the Right, you have cast Satan and his minions into the abyss, bowing your sword before the Man-God and the Virgin who was to give birth to and become the Queen of Angels.
The chosen people saw you at their head when they wandered in the desert, and you were, in their exile, their hope and their strength. Over the cradle of the Church, heir to the Synagogue, you have tenderly watched. Your motto became its motto and, for two thousand years, nothing great has taken place in its bosom apart from your fruitful intervention.
Baptized, the first of nations, in the blood of Christ, France loved you first. So you have worked hard to make her, in your image and example, the good sargent of God. From the fields of Tolbiac to the peaks of Mont Tombe; from the peaks of Mont Tombe to the valleys of Domrémy; from centuries gone by to the time when our life languished, you have written the best pages of our history. So, grateful France, today as in the past, honors you on the holy Mountain, which you have chosen, which the Stranger never trod as a conqueror, where Faith raised your most marvelous and most famous temple.
Add still more to your blessings, O good and powerful Archangel, and take officially under your protection all that we have and all that we are, our persons and our goods, our families and our parishes, our bishops and our priests.
We want this solemn consecration to be national, and we renew, as far as it is in us, the age-old pact which binds France to the Prince of Angels.
We salute you, we bless you, we cheer you, but please defend us in the fight. The darkness of doubt and error invades us on all sides: Archangel of light, dispel our darkness!
Wills weaken and courage wavers: Victorious Archangel, rekindle our ardor and communicate to us the flame which makes souls just and peoples valiant!
Hearts cling to flesh and blood: O sublime Seraphim, snatch us from the mire and carry us to God!
Watch especially over our homes, where faith and innocence are under such harsh assault, and command Satan to respect peace and virtue there.
O Saint Michael, guard the Church and its august Head; save our homeland!
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary send you to us, with Saint Joan of Arc; and may the reign of God be established over us and over the world forever, so that forever, O Grand Provost of Paradise, we may be associated with your triumphs!
Ainsi soit-il!